'Twilight' keeps shining with $42M second weekend (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? The latest "Twilight" movie has plenty of daylight left with a second-straight win at the weekend box office.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 1" took in $42 million domestically over the three-day weekend and $62.3 million in the five-day Thanksgiving boom time from Wednesday to Sunday. That raised its domestic total to $221.3 million, while the Summit Entertainment release added $71.5 million overseas to lift the international total to $268 million and the worldwide take to $489.3 million.

Debuting at No. 2 was Disney's family flick "The Muppets," with $29.5 million for the three-day weekend and $42 million over the five-day holiday haul.

Three other family films rounded out the top-five: the Warner Bros. sequel "Happy Feet Two" at No. 3 with a three-day total of $13.4 million and $18.4 million for five days; Sony's animated comedy "Arthur Christmas" at No. 4 with $12.7 million for three days and $17 million for five days; and Paramount's epic adventure "Hugo" at No. 5 with $11.4 million for three days and $15.4 million for five days.

Between "Breaking Dawn" and the blitz of family films, analysts thought Hollywood had a shot at record revenue over Thanksgiving, one of the year's busiest weekends at movie theaters. But viewers did not come in anywhere close to record numbers.

"I was pretty surprised by this. I just thought this was the perfect combination of films in the marketplace," said Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "Maybe there was just too much out there."

Domestic revenue totaled $234 million from Wednesday to Sunday, well below the $273 million record set two years ago, when "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" led the Thanksgiving weekend, according to Hollywood.com. Receipts also fell short of last Thanksgiving's $264 million haul, when "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" finished on top.

Studio executives concede it's growing harder to lure fans into theaters given all the portable games, devices and other electronics people have to fill up their entertainment time. A so-so Thanksgiving on a weekend with such a good variety of movies could be a sign that Hollywood simply has to live with diminished expectations.

"I don't know that choice is ever a bad thing, and in terms of a weekend for families, this is one of the best," said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney, which brought "The Muppets" back to the big-screen after a 12-year absence. "The challenge is breaking through and being relevant and meaningful and fresh enough to take the more finicky customers and have them choose you."

Disney reported that "The Muppets" drew a good mix of families and couples without children who fondly remember Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the gang on "The Muppet Show." The film stars Jason Segel and Amy Adams as fans helping to reunite the Muppets for a telethon to save their decaying studio.

"Breaking Dawn" was holding close to the pattern set by "New Moon" two years ago, though domestic revenues were off slightly. Factoring in higher ticket prices since "New Moon," the audience shrank even further for "Breaking Dawn."

"I think the audience has changed a bit. Everybody's grown a little older, and I guess we lose a few of our patrons to age," said Richie Fay, head of distribution for Summit.

With no big new releases coming next weekend, though, "Breaking Dawn" has a shot at making up some ground, Fay said.

"Happy Feet Two" has failed to live up to its Academy Award-winning predecessor, a blockbuster that took in nearly $200 million domestically. The sequel about dancing penguins has managed just $43.8 million since opening Nov. 18, a 10-day total that barely matches the opening-weekend gross of the 2006 original.

"Arthur Christmas," from the British animation unit Aardman that made "Chicken Run" and the "Wallace and Gromit" films, has long-haul potential because of its good reviews and holiday story line. The voice cast includes James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie and Jim Broadbent in a Christmas Eve romp about a child's present that falls through the cracks in Santa Claus' high-tech delivery operation.

"To have the one picture that really is kind of carrying the torch as a Christmas picture really bodes well for the future," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony.

Distributor Paramount has similar long-term hopes for Martin Scorsese's "Hugo," which also has great reviews. Based on a children's book, "Hugo" follows the adventures of an orphan boy who tends the clocks in a Paris train station and becomes caught up in unraveling a mystery that connects a surly old man (Ben Kingsley) and a mechanical automaton the youth is trying to repair.

Paramount scaled back "Hugo" from a full wide release over Thanksgiving, opening it in 1,277 theaters, about a third the number for most other top movies. The studio plans to roll the film out more gradually, spreading its marketing budget over the coming weeks to capitalize on the critical word of mouth and potential awards buzz leading up to the Jan. 24 Oscar nominations.

Critics have praised "Hugo" for Scorsese's dazzling use of 3-D. Unlike 3-D fatigue that set in for some other recent movies, whose 3-D business dipped below half of total revenues, "Hugo" audiences have been willing to pay an extra few dollars to see it in three dimensions. About 75 percent of the film's revenue came from 3-D screenings, according to Paramount.

"People are reading the reviews that say, `You've got to see it in 3-D,' and they're going out and voting with their dollars," said Don Harris, head of distribution at Paramount.

In narrower release, the Marilyn Monroe drama "My Week with Marilyn" opened solidly with a $1.8 million weekend and $2.1 million since opening Wednesday. The Weinstein Co. release stars Michelle Williams as Monroe during her tumultuous time filming Laurence Olivier's "The Prince and the Showgirl."

Playing in 244 theaters, "My Week with Marilyn" had a weekend average of $7,266 a cinema, compared with a $10,330 average in 4,066 locations for "Breaking Dawn."

Another Weinstein release, the black-and-white silent film "The Artist," had a big opening in limited release with a three-day haul of $210,414 in just four New York City and Los Angeles theaters. That gave the film an average of $52,604 a theater.

"The Artist" traces the fall of a silent-film star (Jean Dujardin) and the rise of a new screen sensation (Berenice Bejo) as talking pictures take over in the 1920s and `30s. The acclaimed film gradually expands to nationwide release during the buildup to the Oscar nominations.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 1," $42 million ($71.5 million international).

2. "The Muppets," $29.5 million ($1.6 million international).

3. "Happy Feet Two," $13.4 million ($10 million international).

4. "Arthur Christmas," $12.7 million ($11.9 million international).

5. "Hugo," $11.4 million.

6. "Jack and Jill," $10.3 million.

7. "Immortals," $8.8 million ($8 million international).

8. "Puss in Boots," $7.5 million ($9 million international).

9. "Tower Heist," $7.3 million ($7.3 million international).

10. "The Descendants," $7.2 million.

___

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 1," $71.5 million.

2. "Arthur Christmas," $11.9 million.

3. "The Adventures of Tintin," $11.5 million.

4. "Happy Feet Two," $10 million.

5. "Puss in Boots," $9 million.

6. "Immortals," $8 million.

7. "Tower Heist," $7.3 million.

8. "In Time," $6 million.

9. "Real Steel," $5.1 million.

10. "Moneyball," $3.3 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111127/ap_on_en_ot/us_box_office

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Durban - your guide to the latest vital climate summit

Climate negotiators meet in Durban, South Africa, from Monday to discuss controls on greenhouse gas emissions. The ostensible aim is to devise a continuation for the Kyoto protocol, which ends in December 2012. It is two years on from the deal-that-never-was in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the global temperature is still rising. Environment consultant Fred Pearce offers his guide to understanding what's at stake.

Will there be a deal this year?

Sadly not. American legislators won't entertain the idea of legally enforceable limits on their emissions. The Russians and Japanese say that without the US, they are not interested. Ditto China and India. That leaves only Germany of the top six national emitters still in favour of a binding deal.

Even optimists don't think US politicians will be in the mood to consummate a new deal until 2016 at the earliest. The best that can be hoped for is a "coalition of the willing" committed to a stop-gap extension of the Kyoto protocol which does not include the US. We are facing a "lost decade" in climate talks.

Most of the US Senate barely believes in climate change, let alone doing anything about it. Most other nations play lip service, but blame economic travails for postponing hard decisions. Some think the recession will buy us time. Not so. Last year saw the biggest annual increase in carbon dioxide emissions ever recorded ? almost 6 per cent. This was mostly due to China, India and others burning more coal, the dirtiest fuel.

Isn't coal supposedly on the way out?

Quite the reverse. When the new climate talks started in 2006, the world got 25 per cent of its primary energy from coal; now the proportion is 30 per cent. Even Germany will likely burn more coal as it shuts its nuclear plants in the wake of the nuclear disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant. Just 2 hours' drive from Durban, South Africa feeds the coal addiction with the world's largest coal export terminal at Richards Bay.

Meanwhile, CO₂ is accumulating in the atmosphere. By 2016, concentrations will probably pass 400 parts per million, compared with 353 ppm when the climate convention was passed in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

Is there a plan B?

There could be. Even without a Durban protocol, some countries say they will meet voluntary national targets. The European Union has legislated to cut emissions to 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. China, Brazil, Mexico and some others say they will reduce the "carbon intensity" of their economies ? the amount of CO2 they emit per unit of GDP - though their emissions will probably continue to rise. A few US states, led by California, plan to cap their emissions. Some see this resorting to a voluntary approach as doomed. Others see it as the only way forward.

Durban will also see negotiations on REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation), which could deliver a system for countries and corporations with self-imposed targets to offset their emissions by investing in forest conservation. This could kick-start a global carbon market and help create political consensus for a future deal.

But can there be a carbon market without a global deal first?

Doubtful. Without legal limits on emissions, there are no legally enforceable emissions permits to trade, so a voluntary system could be prone to collapse. The price of carbon on the existing limited market, based around EU Kyoto protocol permits, has halved during November to below 6 euros per tonne.

Any other possibilities?

Yes. The UN Environment Programme is behind a big push to cut emissions of soot from diesel emissions, traditional cooking stoves, brick kilns and the like. Soot, often termed black carbon, is the second biggest contributor to climate change, but is not part of the climate talks. Soot only stays in the air for a few days, so cutting emissions would have a big and immediate impact. UNEP says banishing it could cut global warming by 0.5?C by 2030 ? 0.7?C in the Arctic. Watch out for separate talks. Even the US might buy into this one.

Even so, the climate forecast is bad, right?

Dreadful. Nobody knows for sure, but the sober-minded International Energy Agency said this month that we have just six years to stave off 2?C of warming. And the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that such a warming would bring a big increase in many extreme weather events, from droughts and floods to killer heat waves.

So what will the crux of the Durban meeting be?

The hottest topic will probably be drumming up money for the promised $100 billion "green fund" to help poor countries adapt to climate change. It's supposed to start in 2013.

How do you apply?

Good question. Nobody seems sure what the eligibility criteria should be. One view is countries vulnerable to any kind of extreme weather should be entitled to cash from the fund. Another is that the money should go to those who can show that they are threatened directly by human-made climate change. In any case, rich nations are proving very slow to put their hands in their pockets.

So what's the smart money on?

Umm. Geoengineering?

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Gingrich Wins Over 8-Year-Old Aspiring Reporter (ABC News)

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Police: WA woman, 59, chases down purse snatcher

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) ? Police say a 59-year-old woman chased down a purse snatcher who was fleeing on a bicycle in Longview, Wash., pulled him to the ground and grabbed back her purse.

Two witnesses detained the man until officers arrived.

According to court documents filed this week, the purse snatch took place in a Safeway parking lot last Friday. The woman chased the bicyclist about 15 feet.

The purse contained $62 and five credit cards.

The Daily News reports that (http://bit.ly/sA5MtY) a Cowlitz County Superior Court judge found probable cause to charge 29-year-old Mark Grendahl Jr. of Longview with five counts of second-degree theft. The newspaper said he was held Wednesday evening in the Cowlitz County Jail on $25,000 bail.

Associated Press

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Arab League: Syria misses observer deadline

Pro-Syrian regime protesters shout pro-Syrian President Bashar Assad slogans during a protest against the Arab League meeting, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday Nov. 24, 2011. An Arab League committee has given Syria 24 hours to agree to allow an observer mission into the country or it could face sanctions. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters shout pro-Syrian President Bashar Assad slogans during a protest against the Arab League meeting, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday Nov. 24, 2011. An Arab League committee has given Syria 24 hours to agree to allow an observer mission into the country or it could face sanctions. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

Pro-Syrian regime protesters shout slogans as one holds a mock coffin with Arabic words reading: "The Syrian people announce to you the death of the Arab League," during a protest against the Arab League meeting, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday Nov. 24, 2011. An Arab League committee has given Syria 24 hours to agree to allow an observer mission into the country or it could face sanctions. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria missed an Arab League deadline Friday to allow hundreds of observers into the country, prompting the bloc to consider economic sanctions against Damascus for its eight-month crackdown on dissent, a senior diplomat said.

The Arab League had given Syria 24 hours to agree to the observer mission, a humiliating blow to a nation that was a founding member of the Arab coalition.

But the Friday afternoon deadline passed with no word from Damascus, said Arab League Deputy Secretary-General Ahmed Ben Heli. Now, the bloc will meet Saturday to decide on sanctions that could include a freeze on financial dealings and assets.

Syria is the scene of the deadliest crackdown against the Arab Spring's eruption of protests, with the U.N. reporting more than 3,500 people killed in eight months. International pressure has been mounting on President Bashar Assad to stop the bloodshed.

Also Friday, a U.N. human rights panel expressed alarm at reports it received of security forces in Syria torturing children. The Geneva-based Committee against Torture says it has received "numerous, consistent and substantiated reports" of widespread abuse in the country.

Former ally Turkey ? now a leading critic of Assad's regime ? said allowing the observers would be a "test of goodwill" for Syria.

"Today is a historic decision day for Syria," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a joint news conference with Italy's new Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi Friday in Istanbul. "It must open its doors to observers."

Syria's state-run SANA news agency, however, dismissed the ultimatum, declaring Friday that the Arab League had become a "tool for foreign interference" and that it was serving a Western agenda to stir up trouble in the region.

Violence continued Friday, as activists urged protesters to flood the streets to support army defectors who have sided with the opposition.

Syrian security forces fired outside mosques in Daraa province ? apparently to prevent demonstrations by people leaving mosques after Friday afternoon prayers, activists said. Demonstrations were reported in Idlib province, which borders Turkey.

Some countries are exploring the possibility of stronger steps to force Assad's hand, with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe calling for EU-backed humanitarian corridors to allow aid groups a way in.

Juppe called the situation in Syria "no longer tenable" and accused Assad's regime of "repression of a savagery we have not seen in a long time."

He told France-Inter radio he was in contact with partners in the United Nations, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Arab League about the possibility of setting up the humanitarian corridors.

Juppe suggested that aid groups like the Red Cross could use the corridors to bring medical supplies to cities like Homs.

France, Syria's one-time colonial ruler, was the first country to formally recognize Libya's opposition in an early stage of Moammar Gadhafi's crackdown on protests. France played a prominent role in the NATO-led campaign of airstrikes against Gadhafi's forces.

But while the European Union said protecting civilians caught up in Syria's crackdown on anti-government protests "is an increasingly urgent and important aspect" of responding to the bloodshed there, it fell short of endorsing Julle's corridor.

Other countries have taken an unambiguous stance against intervention.

Last month, Russia and China vetoed a Western-backed U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the bloodshed in Syria. They have argued that NATO misused a previous U.N. measure authorizing the use of force to protect civilians in Libya to justify months of air strikes and to promote regime change.

They expressed fears that any new resolution against Syria might be used as a pretext for a similar armed intervention.

___

Associated Press writer Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-25-ML-Syria/id-e5e99d0989104b8aabbffec70b839967

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Bloomberg pivots to slamming D.C. (Politico)

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has moved in recent days to reclaim the title of the nation?s top Washington outsider, embarking on a messaging tour to blast Congress and the White House for failing to reach a bipartisan agreement on deficit reduction.

In numerous TV and radio appearances, Bloomberg has criticized Democrats and Republicans for their ?political cowardice.? He?s endorsed proposals for debt reduction that include ending the Bush tax cuts and implementing the Simpson-Bowles Commission?s austerity plan.

Continue Reading

And in a departure from Bloomberg?s general practice of not criticizing the president ? and calling on the country to unite behind him ? the mayor accused President Barack Obama of failing to ?provide leadership in difficult situations.?

On one level, Bloomberg?s media blitz is more of the same for a politician who has long sought out influence in national politics, often on a similar set of issues.

But to some, Bloomberg?s national messaging tour also looks like an escape from a third term that has not gone as hoped for. From botched snow removal last winter to a ticket-fixing scandal in the New York Police Department, to ? most infamously ? Bloomberg?s showdown with Occupy Wall Street, there?s a palpable sense that things have soured on the home front.

Against that backdrop, the tumult of national politics might look like a relatively welcoming place for Bloomberg to start shaping a post-mayoral role for himself.

?My suspicion is he hasn?t quite figured out what his next act is, but the one thing he knows he wants is to stay relevant and continue cultivating his brand as the independent, sane, grown-up voice in American politics,? said Democratic strategist Dan Gerstein, a veteran of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman?s independent 2006 campaign. ?This plays into his sweet spot: It?s the intersection of independence, adult leadership, and finance and economics.?

Attacking Washington over the budget showdown, Gerstein said, is a way for Bloomberg to try and put the political quagmire of Occupy Wall Street behind him ? and to reclaim a public identity other than that of an investment banker-defending media billionaire.

?This episode has ? not just in terms of his management of the protests, but in how he talked about the underlying issues ? done real damage to his brand,? said the strategist. ?Both the perception and substance is that he?s out of sync with the mood of the country in some of his comments about the nature of capitalism today and income inequality.?

Bloomberg advisers dismiss the notion that the mayor is diverting attention from the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, which the NYPD broke up last week.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1111_69075_html/43699957/SIG=11mrf1pri/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/69075.html

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Janet Jackson Launches Fur Line–The Frisky Harry Potter with No Daniel Radcliffe?–HollyWire LMFAO Fashion Disaster?–Right Celebrity Sugarland Slapped with Lawsuit–The Celebrity Cafe Jack Wagner Finds [...]

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Sell-off runs into fourth day on Europe, U.S. debt worries (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? U.S. stocks fell for a fourth session on Monday, as the lack of progress in dealing with heavy debt both in the United States and Europe further sapped investor confidence in equities.

Risky assets like commodities also fell, sparking a sell-off in shares of industrials and energy companies. Volume was lower than average, with investors more inclined to sit on the sidelines amid the uncertainty.

Late on Monday, the co-chairs of a U.S. congressional "super committee" said they have failed to reach a deal on reducing federal government deficits.

"The news was pretty much out yesterday. No one was expecting anything," said Kevin Kruszenski, director of equity trading at KeyBanc Capital Markets in Cleveland.

"Will this continue to have an impact tomorrow? Well, it does add to the overall malaise, but I don't see this being something of unexpected."

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) slid 248.85 points, or 2.11 percent, to end at 11,547.31. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) lost 22.67 points, or 1.86 percent, to finish at 1,192.98. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) dropped 49.36 points, or 1.92 percent, to close at 2,523.14.

There are concerns that the stalemate will make it more difficult to pass extensions of stimulative measures like payroll tax cuts, which could hurt the U.S. economy. In addition, investors are worried that the committee's inability to come to an agreement could result in another downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, though so far the major rating agencies have not commented.

Moody's Investors Service said a recent rise in interest rates on French government debt and weaker economic growth prospects could be negative for France's credit rating.

S&P 500 OFF 5 PCT FOR YEAR

Blue chips, which have been outperforming smaller-cap stocks, fell the most in Monday's slide, with the Dow tumbling more than 300 points to its session low.

The Dow was off 0.3 percent for the year. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are off about 5 percent each for the year to date.

The S&P quickly fell through the 1,200 level seen as the next level of support. After that, support was seen at 1,187, representing the 61.8 percent retracement of the 2011 high to low slide.

Rick Bensignor, chief market strategist at Merlin Securities in New York, said the negative headlines from across the globe made it less likely the market would see a sustained rally despite stocks having what many traders say are attractive valuations.

"Cheap valuations only do so much. They don't make bull markets. They make bidders to curtail down markets, but in and of themselves, the fact that stocks are cheap is not a good enough reason to think that they are going to go higher."

Among blue-chip stocks, Bank of America (BAC.N) fell 5 percent to $5.49.

On the Nasdaq, Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) shares lost 4 percent to $189.25.

HP BUCKS TIDE, RALLIES LATE

After the closing bell, Hewlett-Packard (HPQ.N) reported quarterly results that beat Wall Street's expectations. The stock rose 2.4 percent to $27.50 in extended trade.

In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 (.FTEU3) index fell 3.3 percent to its lowest close in nearly seven weeks. Along with the new concerns about France, Spain's bond yields rose despite a clear-cut victory for austerity-committed conservatives in Sunday's election. There were few details on Prime Minister-elect Mariano Rajoy's plans.

About 7.78 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq, below the current daily average of 8 billion shares.

On the New York Stock Exchange, about six stocks fell for every one that rose. On the Nasdaq, decliners beat advancers by 5 to 1.

Merger activity provided a bright spot as Pharmasset Inc (VRUS.O) surged 84.6 percent to $134.14 after Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O) agreed to buy the company for $11 billion in cash. Gilead slumped 9.1 percent to $36.26.

Economic data showed U.S. existing-home sales unexpectedly rose in October as low interest rates for mortgages and rising rents encouraged more people to buy homes, a trade group said, but equities were little helped by the data.

(Reporting by Angela Moon; Editing by Kenneth Barry and Jan Paschal)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111121/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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'Idol' producer: No major changes for new season (AP)

NEW YORK ? "American Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says don't expect any major changes when the hit Fox TV show returns in January after undergoing an extensive makeover last season.

Lythgoe, who helped transform Britain's "Pop Idol" into the American TV juggernaut in 2002, returned as executive producer last season to usher in the post-Simon Cowell era. That ended a two-year hiatus that allowed him to focus on "So You Think You Can Dance," which he produces and helps judge.

For the 10th "American Idol" season, Lythgoe introduced new judges, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, to join holdover Randy Jackson. Veteran music producer Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M, was brought in as an in-house mentor for the contestants. All of them are back for Season 11, Lythgoe said.

"I think we made a lot of tweaks last year," Lythgoe said. "I'm not sure that we want to make too many more tweaks this year."

Lythgoe said the most significant change introduced last year had nothing to do with the judges: It was a decision to avoid those fish-out-of-water moments that forced very talented singers to sing in styles that didn't suit them.

"The biggest change we made last year was to say, `OK, if you're a country singer you can sing any of these genres in your country style,'" Lythgoe said. "`We're not going to force you to do rock or anything you can't do. You can take a Michael Jackson song and turn it country.'"

That resulted in singers such as Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart advancing much deeper into the competition than they might have in previous years. The two teenage finalists, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, were country singers.

McCreery, the first pure country "Idol" winner since Carrie Underwood in 2005, saw his October release, "Clear As Day," make him the first country act to debut at No. 1 with its first studio album on the Billboard 200 chart. And at 18, he became the youngest man to open at the top of the chart with his debut release. He also was the first "Idol" winner to start his post-"Idol" career with a No. 1 album since Ruben Studdard in 2003.

Lythgoe said last year the show found "some incredible talent, and it was so diverse."

"We got this great jazz singer in Casey, we got a soft jazz singer in Haley, and the two country kids (in the finals) probably in previous years wouldn't have been as successful because they would have been asked to sing in the different styles that we used to do then," he said last week.

Lythgoe expects similar results in Season 11.

"The kids that have auditioned this year that we're going to be taking to Hollywood in December are again really talented and really diverse," he said. "Hopefully they'll get through one of the toughest auditions, which is the Hollywood week, and get themselves into the top 20."

Lythgoe said he believes "Idol" should be "totally about the talent" and the recent changes foster that.

"For me," he said, "it's really showing the talent that is here and not trying to take somebody who's talented, beat them around the bucket and turn them out."

___

Online:

http://www.americanidol.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_en_ot/us_tv_american_idol

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Britney Spears: Inspired By Adele, Jessie J

If Britney Spears is feeling like she's being pushed out of the spotlight by younger, more talented artists, you wouldn't know it. In fact, she's quick to praise them.

The inger made a comeback earlier this year with her Femme Fatale album, and is glad to have "competition" from new young artists such as Jessie J and Adele.

They push her to "make her songs and live shows better" she says.

She told Stylist magazine: "It's cool there are so many new, up-and-coming artists to look at and be inspired by. I think it's great to have a little competition."

"I feel it inspires [Team Britney] and makes us better. There are so many soulful singers, even ones from London, like Adele and Jessie J, who are just amazing."

"It feels like a really cool time to be making music now."

It's also just a cool time to be Britney Spears, in general.

"As the years have gone by, I've evolved as an artist," said the soon-to-be 30-year-old, who's been at this since 1998. "I've put even more into my career."

"After that amount of time you start to know exactly what you want. You feel a little bit more in your skin, in terms of who you are. And that feels really nice."

Britney Spears: Still got it?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/11/britney-spears-inspired-by-adele-jessie-j/

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Video: Peaceful ?Occupy? protestors pepper-sprayed at UC Davis

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45392650#45392650

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Plea deal in California gay classmate killing (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? A Southern California teenager pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder for killing a gay student during a computer lab class three years ago in a plea deal that will send him to prison for 21 years and avoid a retrial.

Brandon McInerney, 17, pleaded guilty to the murder charge, as well as one count each of voluntary manslaughter and use of a firearm, said Ventura County Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Frawley. McInerney is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 19.

The case drew wide attention because of its shocking premise: McInerney, in a fit of homophobic rage, killed 15-year-old Larry King at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard because he was offended by King's dress and how the victim interacted with him.

Larry King's father, Greg King, told KABC-TV he understands why prosecutors agreed to the plea deal.

"I don't think that 21-year sentence is justice for my son, but I understand the reality that was facing the DA of trying to convict a defendant who was 14 ... when he committed the murder," Greg King said.

Comic Ellen DeGeneres, a lesbian, weighed in on her talk show shortly after the shooting and said gays shouldn't be treated as second-class citizens.

McInerney was only 14 at the time of the February 2008 shooting. Several jurors said after the teen's trial earlier this year that he should never have been tried as an adult.

A mistrial was declared in September when jurors couldn't reach a unanimous decision on the degree of guilt. The panel took a series of votes, the last one with seven jurors in favor of voluntary manslaughter and five supporting either first-degree or second-degree murder. The trial had been moved from Ventura County to Los Angeles because of pretrial publicity.

Frawley said prosecutors agreed to the plea deal because of uncertainty about what might result from a second trial.

"We took that into account and looked at what it would take to protect the community," Frawley said. "The total time in custody for 25 years will do that."

The murder conviction will be stayed, and the plea deal calls for McInerney to be given the harshest sentence under California law for voluntary manslaughter ? 11 years ? and use of a firearm ? 10 years, Frawley said. McInerney is ineligible for time served or good behavior because he pleaded guilty to murder.

After serving nearly four years since King's slaying, McInerney will be released just shy of his 39th birthday. Prosecutors had previously offered a plea deal that would have sent McInerney to prison for 25 years to life, but his attorneys passed.

A phone message left with defense attorney Robyn Bramson was not immediately returned.

Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, said in a statement the plea agreement ends a tragic chapter.

"Ventura County along with communities and school districts everywhere must come together to promote a culture of respect and nurture the true potential found in every individual regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression," Byard said.

King was shot twice in the back of the head in front of stunned classmates. Authorities maintained the shooting was premeditated and deserving of a murder conviction. During the trial, prosecutors noted at least six people heard McInerney make threats against King in the days before the shooting.

Prosecutors also contended McInerney embraced a white supremacist philosophy that sees homosexuality as an abomination. Police found Nazi-inspired drawings and artifacts at his house, and a white supremacist expert testified at trial the hate-filled ideology was the reason for the killing.

Prosecutors, however, dropped a hate crime count against McInerney in preparing for a second trial.

Defense attorneys acknowledged McInerney was the shooter but explained he had reached an emotional breaking point after King made repeated, unwanted sexual advances. They also argued their client came from a violent upbringing and juvenile court would have been the best venue to try him.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111122/ap_on_re_us/us_gay_student_killed

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Bringing Amtrak back to south side (hamptonroads)

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Dr. Boyce Watkins: Sorry Chris Rock, but President Obama is Nobody's "Gangsta"

Comedian Chris Rock made some interesting comments this week about President Barack Obama. Rock, who is a strong supporter of the president, felt compelled to argue that none of us should be fooled by the relatively passive, less-than-impressive first term of Obama. Instead, Rock says that we should look forward to the fact that having a second term is going to lead President Obama to start doing "gangsta sh*t."

"There's a f------ art to the first term because you're always running for a second term the whole time. It's like Clinton's first term. You can't really do your gangsta sh-- until your second term... Even Bush couldn't really f--- up the world until his second term. That's when he put the hammer down," said Rock.

Rock is the latest in a slew of black comedians and public figures who've come out to support the president. Steve Harvey regularly uses his radio show to argue that anyone who doesn't support President Obama is selling out the race, and Tom Joyner went as far as stating that we should support President Obama solely because he's black.

Rock's comments reflect his comedic brilliance, but also display a disturbing habit of millions of other African Americans who tend to make President Obama into the man they hope he is, rather than the man he has proven himself to be. President Obama is not a "gangsta" politician. He is a deliberate, calculated, (somewhat) inexperienced, highly-intelligent, non-confrontational, relatively self-serving man who sometimes gets things done. Most interestingly (and perhaps sadly), he's probably the best candidate that either of the two major parties has been able to produce in a decade.

President Obama, by working to find common ground with his fellow politicians, is exactly what our dysfunctional government needs. Unfortunately, he's become the man carrying a peace treaty to the middle of a war zone, and it's simply not working out very well. Republicans have certainly been "gangsta" with President Obama, but his decision to back down in numerous showdowns with the opposition have left even his most enthusiastic supporters disillusioned.

Rock's comment reminds us of exactly what happened in 2008, when African Americans tried so hard to read between the lines of the Obama presidency. Barack promised us almost nothing, but we believed he would give us everything. We were like the woman who sleeps with the perpetual playboy over and over again, assuming that he'll one day change his mind about marriage. President Obama can't be blamed for the na?ve expectations of the African-American community, but he can certainly be held accountable for doing nothing to dispel those expectations.

On one hand, should President Obama become the "gangsta" that Rock wants to believe that he is, he would be a perfect fit in the destructive political climate created by his peers in Washington. The only way to respond to a gun fight is to bring a bigger gun, but at the end of the day, everyone ends up getting shot. The inability of our political leaders to work out their differences productively may serve to be the downfall of our great nation.

Chris Rock and others who wish to give President Obama credit for things that he has not yet done would be best served to provide evidence of their assertions. The president has a three-year track record for us to observe, and every intelligent voter should simply check the record to decide what kind of president he is. Most of us know scores of people who want you to believe that they are going to engage in progressive action once their chains have been lifted, but in the end, we usually find that the chains are psychological constraints of their own creation.

President Obama is an amazing man, but he is certainly not anyone's "gangsta." Chris Rock is a great man and an amazing comedian, but like Steve Harvey, his political analysis is a bit of a joke. The last thing we need to do is allow public figures to do our thinking for us, for the proof of Obama's qualifications is in the political pudding. ?At the end of the day, our trusted public figures and celebrities should just stop playing with our heads. The only thing that's been "gangsta" about the last three ?years is the terroristic manner by which self-serving black celebrities have tried to convince us to check our brains at the door. ? People can make their own decisions about Obama, and we don't need anyone to tell us how to perceive his presidency.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and national spokesperson for the Ujamaa Deals Initiative, advocating for black consumers to support black-owned businesses.? To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.?

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Follow Dr. Boyce Watkins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrBoyceWatkins1

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-boyce-watkins/chris-rock-barack-obama-gangsta_b_1089977.html

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Afghan assembly endorses talks with US on troops

An Afghan woman delegate, center, speaks for her committee members on the third day of loya jirga or grand council in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke Wednesday on the opening day of the meeting where the elders are discussing negotiations under way for a U.S.-Afghan agreement to govern the presence of U.S. troops after 2014, when most international forces are to have left or moved into support roles. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

An Afghan woman delegate, center, speaks for her committee members on the third day of loya jirga or grand council in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke Wednesday on the opening day of the meeting where the elders are discussing negotiations under way for a U.S.-Afghan agreement to govern the presence of U.S. troops after 2014, when most international forces are to have left or moved into support roles. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

An Afghan delegate, Mahmood Khan Sulaiman Khial, left, gestures as he speaks with a colleague Gul Badshah Majidi on the third day of loya jirga or grand council in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke Wednesday on the opening day of the meeting where the elders are discussing negotiations under way for a U.S.-Afghan agreement to govern the presence of U.S. troops after 2014, when most international forces are to have left or moved into support roles. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

An Afghan delegate speaks to the committee members on the third day of the loya jirga or grand council in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke Wednesday on the opening day of the meeting where the elders are discussing negotiations under way for a U.S.-Afghan agreement to govern the presence of U.S. troops after 2014, when most international forces are to have left or moved into support roles. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

An Afghan delegate listens to a speech from his committee chairman, unseen, on the third day of the loya jirga or grand council in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke Wednesday on the opening day of the meeting where the elders are discussing negotiations under way for a U.S.-Afghan agreement to govern the presence of U.S. troops after 2014, when most international forces are to have left or moved into support roles. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Afghan delegates of committee members continue their discussion on the third day of loya jirga or grand council in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke Wednesday on the opening day of the meeting where the elders are discussing negotiations under way for a U.S.-Afghan agreement to govern the presence of U.S. troops after 2014, when most international forces are to have left or moved into support roles. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? President Hamid Karzai received a resounding endorsement Saturday from a traditional national assembly to negotiate a security agreement that could keep a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan past 2014, when most international forces are to have left. The size of the force is subject to negotiations but a future deal could keep thousands of American troops here for years.

The nonbinding resolution issued at the end of a Loya Jirga assembly also suggested some conditions for the talks between Afghan and American officials, including an end to unpopular night raids by military forces searching for insurgents.

The more than 2,000 people who attended the four-day meeting asked Karzai to ensure the United States hands over all detainees to Afghan custody and limits any agreement to 10 years. They also said the future pact must be approved by parliament.

"We will act on the basis of your consultation," Karzai told the assembled delegates.

"I am very happy that you have accepted it and have put lots of conditions on it. I accept this resolution. It is the instruction to the Afghan government from the Afghan people."

As part of a future deal, both sides envision a force of several thousand U.S. troops, who would train Afghan forces and help with counterterrorism operations. The pact would outline the legal status of that force in Afghanistan, rules under which it would operate and where it would be based.

The jirga's findings are likely to bolster Karzai's negotiating position with the United States during difficult talks under way to craft what the U.S. is calling a Strategic Partnership Document.

Some critics have complained that Karzai organized the assembly as a rubber-stamp body, noting that it endorsed all conditions that Karzai outlined at the opening session.

"From the beginning we were pretty sure that the jirga was mainly a symbolic gathering of Afghans," said Haroun Mir, the director of the Afghanistan Center for Research and Policy Studies, a Kabul-based think tank. "This is a symbolic gathering ? more political leverage for President Karzai to show to international community that he is still able to gather Afghans under one tent."

While the jirga ended on a positive note, there was much grumbling from the start.

Many participants wondered aloud how the Afghan government expected them to discuss a U.S.-Afghan partnership agreement if they weren't given a draft of the pact or told America's conditions for signing it.

Abdul Malik Nayazi, an elder from Parwan province, north of Kabul, said no one had seen anything in writing but still wanted to see an agreement signed.

"Unfortunately, the situation in the countryside is very difficult. The Taliban still are controlling many areas. If our Afghan security forces are not strong enough and equipped and well-trained, our problems will increase day by day. Until all our Afghan forces can stand on their own feet, we need the presence of U.S. forces in Afghanistan," Nayazi said.

President Barack Obama has already ordered 10,000 U.S. troops to leave by the end of the year and another 23,000 by the end of September 2012. NATO forces will also gradually withdraw. There are currently about 100,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan out of a total of about 131,000 international troops. Part of the American contingent also includes about 10,000 involved in special operations, such as night raids.

The resolution said any future deal should include the immediate end of night raids, where U.S. forces accompanied by Afghans carry out operations to kill or capture insurgents. They said all such raids should be Afghan-led.

The U.S.-led coalition has given no indication that it is willing to stop the raids. It says night operations are conducted with Afghan security forces and are an effective way to keep pressure on militants. The coalition estimates that an average of 12 operations are conducted every night in Afghanistan.

Washington sees the document as a nonbinding set of principles guiding the two nations' future relationship. The Afghans want a strong and binding agreement to govern the presence of American forces in the country after 2014.

Afghan politicians are under pressure to uphold the country's sovereignty, but also see the agreement as a key bulwark against both homegrown insurgents and some of its neighbors, including Iran and Pakistan. Both have been accused of maintaining ties with some Afghan militant groups and are uncomfortable with having U.S. troops on Afghan soil for years to come.

Delegates also presented the government with 22 suggestions about Karzai's effort to make peace with the Taliban through reconciliation talks, but that issue took a back seat at the jirga.

Peace talks have made no headway, and efforts were brought to a halt following the Sept. 20 assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was leading the Afghan government's effort to broker peace. Rabbani was killed at his Kabul home by an assassin posing as a peace emissary from the insurgent group.

Rabbani has not been replaced as head of the 70-member council, which is made up former Taliban, ex-warlords, members of parliament, top tribal elders and clerics. Critics have said that it is too heavily packed with Taliban opponents who could never deliver a reconciliation.

A committee leader, Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, who was wounded in the Rabbani attack, said many jirga participants thought the makeup of the peace council should be changed. The panel needs people, such as clerics and tribal leaders, who have wide support in their own areas and would be acceptable to both sides.

"The majority of the Afghans, of course, want peace," Stanekzai said.

__

Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann and Patrick Quinn contributed from Kabul.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-19-AS-Afghanistan/id-c83dde77174241d4ba3cb797640a98fe

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Pakistan "coup" memo was dictated: businessman (Reuters)

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) ? A Pakistani-American businessman said on Friday that Pakistan's ambassador to the United States asked him in May to appeal to the Pentagon to help the civilian government ward off a coup by Pakistan's powerful military.

Businessman Mansoor Ijaz, an American of Pakistani origin based in Zurich, said in a column in the Financial Times last month that a senior Pakistani diplomat asked for assistance in getting a message from President Asif Ali Zardari to Admiral Mike Mullen, then chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Ijaz told Reuters on Friday he wrote a memo outlining the civilian government's fears of military intervention and sent it to the Pentagon on the instructions of Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani.

The affair highlights the fundamental tension in Pakistani politics since the nation was founded in 1947 - competition for power between civilian politicians and military commanders.

That Zardari wants to exert greater civilian control over the powerful military is an open secret in Islamabad.

But the memo, which the Pakistan ambassador denies writing, would appear to show the civilian government trying to bring the United States to its side in the struggle with the military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half its history.

The memo requested Mullen's intercession to stave off any coup but added that, with the military on the defensive after the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a U.S. raid on his Pakistani hideout, there was an opportunity to bring it to heel.

Ijaz said Haqqani called him on May 9, one week after the U.S. raid that killed bin Laden, to help get a message to the Americans.

"The memo's content in its entirety originated from him," Ijaz told Reuters, referring to Haqqani.

"At a certain point he started talking so fast, I opened up my computer and I started typing the basic outline of the verbal message he wanted me to transmit."

"He was originally asking me to deliver a verbal message. And when I went back to my U.S. interlocutors -- all three of them -- said they wouldn't touch this unless it was in writing."

Haqqani has denied any connection with the memo.

"I refuse to accept Mr Ijaz's claims and assertions," he said in a statement on Thursday. "I did not write or deliver the memo he describes, nor did I authorize anyone including Mr Ijaz to do so."

On Wednesday, Haqqani offered his resignation to Zardari. It has not been accepted but he has been summoned to Islamabad.

"HARD PRESSURE"

Some analysts cast doubt on Ijaz's credibility.

"Ijaz is someone who has been circulating on the fringes of Washington policy circles for years but most Pakistan watchers don't find him particularly reliable," said Lisa Curtis, a veteran Pakistan analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.

Copies of the memo have been published in Pakistan with the controversy stoked by anti-American and anti-government media speculating whether it was authorized by Zardari or if Haqqani was acting on his own. Ijaz says he does not know.

Haqqani has said: "Zardari doesn't even know this guy."

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the matter on Friday.

The memo's contents are likely to anger Pakistan's military, which sets foreign and security policies. In recent months, there has been sharp tension between the weak civilian government and the military leadership.

Ijaz wrote in the newspaper column that Zardari feared a military takeover after the U.S. raid that killed bin Laden, which brought intense pressure on the army.

He told Reuters that Haqqani approached him in the days immediately after the raid, asking for help against what he feared was an imminent coup.

"Civilians cannot withstand much more of the hard pressure being delivered from the army to succumb to wholesale changes," the memo states according to published reports, which Ijaz confirmed matched the document he sent to Mullen.

"I don't know if Haqqani had a blanket power of attorney with Zardari, whether he ever discussed this with Zardari or whether he was acting on his own," he said.

In the memo, the military and intelligence agencies are accused of being complicit in aiding bin Laden. The military has repeatedly said it had no links to bin Laden.

Mullen has said he received the note but his staff said he took no action.

"Neither the contents of the memo nor the proof of its existence altered or affected in any way the manner in which Admiral Mullen conducted himself in his relationship with General Kayani and the Pakistani government," said Captain John Kirby, who was his spokesman when he was in office.

"He did not find it at all credible and took no note of it."

(Additional reporting by Missy Ryan and Qasim Nauman; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan, Robert Birsel and Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111119/wl_nm/us_pakistan_ambassador

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Police find major drug tunnel under U.S.-Mexico border (Reuters)

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) ? Police have discovered a "major cross-border drug tunnel" running to California from Mexico, and seized more than 17 tons (12,700 kilograms) of marijuana, U.S. and Mexican authorities said on Wednesday.

The tunnel measuring around 400 yards links warehouses in an industrial park south of San Diego and the Mexican border city of Tijuana, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said.

U.S. federal agents made the discovery after police stopped a small cargo truck seen leaving a nondescript white warehouse building near the Otay Mesa port of entry on Tuesday afternoon, and arrested two men, ICE said.

A subsequent search of the warehouse found the entrance of the tunnel in the floor. It plunged more than 20 feet to the bottom of a shaft, meeting a passageway measuring approximately 4 feet by 3 feet, with structural supports, electricity and ventilation.

Agents with the San Diego Tunnel Task Force retrieved three tons of marijuana from the van. A subsequent search of the warehouse recovered an additional 6.5 tons of the drug. Mexican authorities said they found almost 8 tons of marijuana on the south side.

Tijuana is the principal gateway for tons of drugs entering California from Mexico. Last year, authorities uncovered two large tunnels linking the gritty industrial city with the strip flanking the border south of San Diego.

Measuring around 2,000 feet in length, they were equipped with rail systems, lighting and ventilation, and each discovery yielded multiple tons of marijuana.

'STOP AT NOTHING'

"The fact that this is the third sophisticated cross border tunnel found within a year's time demonstrates the cartels will stop at nothing to smuggle their drugs into the United States," said William R. Sherman, acting special agent in charge for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego.

"The seizure of marijuana coupled with the loss of yet another tunnel will deal a heavy blow to those responsible for constructing this tunnel," he added.

Evidence found inside the warehouse led investigators to believe the tunnel was only recently completed.

Mexican General Gilberto Landeros said many packets of the seized drugs were marked with a "Captain America" logo. Landeros said the tunnel was operated by the powerful Sinaloa cartel, headed by Mexico's most wanted man, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman.

Mexico is in the grip of brutal drug cartel violence that has claimed more than 42,000 lives since President Felipe Calderon took office five years ago and sent the military to crush the powerful gangs.

The cartels have excavated scores of tunnels under the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years in a bid to beat ramped-up security at ports of entry and the rugged spaces in between. Nearly all of them linked cities on either side of Mexico's border with California and Arizona.

Authorities on Wednesday also reported the discovery of a much smaller drug tunnel running under the border to Arizona from Mexico's northern Sonora state.

That tunnel stretched for 70 feet from a drain in Nogales, Mexico, to an area beneath the porch of a house in the namesake city in Arizona, ICE said. Authorities also retrieved a number of excavating tools.

(Additional reporting by Lizbeth Diaz in Tijuana; Writing by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Greg McCune and Jerry Norton)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111117/us_nm/us_usa_mexico_tunnel

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iPhone works underwater thanks to new spray-on coating (Yahoo! News)

Here's something that can rival the world's most slippery substance ? a silicon-based spray-on coating called NeverWet that can create a waterproof and oil-proof barrier around any surface, including electronic devices. How many of you accidentally lost a phone or a camera to water before? The creator of NeverWet, Ross Nanotechnology, asserts that its spray-on coating could help prevent those instances. Check out the video above of a NeverWet-coated iPhone submerged in a bowl of water for 30 minutes as proof.

NeverWet works by creating what Ross Nanotechnology calls a superhydrophobic barrier around anything you spray it on that repels both water and oil. In tests, various liquids from chocolate syrup to machine oil easily slide off a surface coated with the substance. Because NeverWet repels most liquids, it can also act as an ice repellent, corrosion protector, and anti-bacterial protector.

The substance, however, isn't perfect ? alcohol and soap nullify its effect. But all you need to do is rinse the soap or alcohol off with water, and the item will again be as liquid-proof as can be. The substance is designed to work not only on electronics but also on a variety of surfaces, even on fabrics. NeverWet is still in its research phase, so you can't get a canister of your own to protect your gadgets yet, but it could be sold commercially as soon as next year. For now, you can find a number of waterproof cameras and phone casings on the market that may answer to your needs.

[via Wired, PetaPixel]

This article was written by Mariella Moon and originally appeared on Tecca

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Activists: Syrian army defectors kill 8 soldiers

In this image from amateur video made available by the Ugarit News group on Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011 shows a boy throwing an object at a vehicle as a Syrian tank burns in Daraa, Syria on Monday Nov. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Ugarit vai APTN) TV OUT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT

In this image from amateur video made available by the Ugarit News group on Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011 shows a boy throwing an object at a vehicle as a Syrian tank burns in Daraa, Syria on Monday Nov. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Ugarit vai APTN) TV OUT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT

In this image from amateur video made available by the Ugarit News group on Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011 shows a burning Syrian tank in Daraa, Syria on Monday Nov. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Ugarit vai APTN) TV OUT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT

In this image from amateur video made available by the Ugarit News group on Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011 shows a a burning Syrian tank in Daraa, Syria on Monday Nov. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Ugarit vai APTN) TV OUT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL. TV OUT

BEIRUT (AP) ? A Syrian activist group says army defectors have killed at least eight soldiers and security forces in an attack on an army checkpoint in Hama province.

Attacks on regime forces by renegade troops have been escalating in recent days.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the Hama attack happened in the village of Kfar Zeita on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Syrian army defectors said they launched several attacks on President Bashar Assad's military and intelligence bases near the capital.

The Free Syrian Army said in a statement the target was a compound run by the Air Force Intelligence in the Damascus suburb of Harasta. It was not clear if there were any casualties in that attack.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-16-ML-Syria/id-4605d0ff4c5042338e91871f61937b90

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