15 June 2010

Jubilant Americans Mock England Goalkeeper Rob Green in Virals Sweeping the Net

If England goalkeeper Rob Green feels he isn't beating himself up enough over his horror gaffe during last night's World Cup match, all he has to do is look on the internet.

Gleeful Americans have already began to take the mick out of the hapless keeper in a series of internet virals.

One such viral has Green scrambling to save the ball as it trickes over the line, with the caption: 'Soccer and oil spills: England just can't contain them.'

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Green issues: A picture of English keeper Rob Green scrambling for the ball is linked to BP's handling of the oil spill crisis

Another show's TouTube celebrity 'OMG Cat' watching Green's error with its increasingly horrified expression.

Some others, however, are a little less amusing.

One viral shows a series of idyllic photos of American life - a day at the beach, a pretty woman cooking, cute animals - against images of riots in Britain and burning buildings.

OMG Cat

What? YouTube sensation OMG Cat, who has been equally astounded by such things as the Tiger Woods scandal and the iPad launch, watches Green's gaffe

The caption, for reasons known only to the viral artist, reads 'It's a tie: nobody care here'.

Rob Green's nightmare started when Clint Dempsey cleverly spun away from Gerrard on 38 minutes, and sized up to shoot, and drove the ball towards the goal.

As it was not the sweetest strike in the world, most believed Green would scoop it up with little effort.

Rob Green virals

Not so funny: This particular viral apparently highlights the difference between lifestyles in the U.S. and Britain

Inexplicably, however, Green fumbled the ball and it trickled into the back of the net. Green was left to collapse on the ground, his head in his hands, as Dempsey wheeled away in celebration.

It will be an often replayed moment of this year's World Cup, and one that Green will have to live with - but one that Americans will savour with each viewing.

The American press, for example, went so far as to say that last night's match was one of the best in World Cup history.

In a breathless critique, The New York Post said: 'In true revolutionary style, the underdog Americans came from behind and blasted the powerful Brits to a nail-biting 1-1 draw yesterday, in one of the all-time great World Cup soccer battles.'

And this is only one day after the gamer. Expect the virals to continue.

Robert Green

Another viral shows the ill-fated Robert Green diving into a billowing volcano

Peace at Last? Quite Possibly as the BBC Says 'We Can Silence The Vuvuzelas'

By Christian Gysin

  • Red button would strip out crowd noise
  • Ronaldo leads players' protests over match noise
  • Sepp Blatter defends fans who blow 'horn of Africa'
  • One in four England fans turned off by racket
  • Internet download offers TV fans some respite 

TV viewers could soon be able to cut out the annoying sound of the vuvuzela when they watch World Cup matches.

The BBC is thinking about the possibility of offering ‘vuvuzela free’ coverage via its red button after hundreds of complaints.

Fans say the droning sound of the plastic horns, which has been likened to the buzzing of millions of angry bees, is drowning out coverage and leaving them with aching eardrums.

Fans split: Some England supporters have embraced the local custom, but others want the vuvuzela to be banned

Fans split: Some England supporters have embraced the local custom, but others want the vuvuzela to be banned

Vuvuzelas can generate a drone of up to 144 decibels inside stadiums, which is louder than fireworks, a plane taking off or a rock concert.

Now the BBC is looking into providing ‘clean’ coverage, which would strip out most crowd noise.

A BBC spokesman said last night: ‘We have already taken steps to minimise the noise and are continuing to monitor the situation. If the vuvuzela continues to impact on audience enjoyment, we will look at what other options we can take to reduce the volume further.’

The BBC’s plans emerged after World Cup officials said yesterday that the vuvuzela will stay at the tournament, despite earlier claims that the horns could be banned.

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Netherlands supporters blow vuvzelas as they cheer prior to the start of the Holland vs. Denmark at Soccer City stadium in Soweto this afternoon

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A Germany fan blows a vuvuzela prior to the Group D match between Germany and Australia at Durban Stadium last night

Spokesman Rich Mkhondo said: ‘Vuvuzelas are here to stay and will never be banned. Look at them as part of our culture in South Africa to celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup.’

Pugh

He said the noise is part of the fabric of football in Africa, similar to English rattles, the football flares of Italy, the air horns of Holland and the ticker tape that greets teams in South America.

Many fans have been surprised by the noise created by the £2 plastic horns – which are blasted by thousands of supporters during games – with some forced to wear ear plugs to combat the din.

To TV viewers the trumpets simply sound like a constant buzzing through 90 minutes of football.

Mr Mkhondo’s confirmation that vuvuzelas would continue to be allowed into World Cup stadia followed weekend reports that officials were considering banning the horns.

Yesterday the England Supporters’ Band backed the use of the vuvuzela, arguing that ‘when in Rome’ the local culture should be respected.

Sheffield-based trumpeter John Hemmingham – who leads the eight-man England orchestra which has not missed a game since 1996 – said the horns were a good thing.‘It’s the way South Africans express their joy and pleasure at the tournament being here,’ he said.

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Vuvuzela ear plugs on sale outside the Rustenburg stadium, hours before England kicked off their World Cup campaign

A recent survey found that the sound emitted by a vuvuzela was the equivalent to 127 decibels - louder than a drum's 122 decibels, or a referee's whistle at 121.8 decibels.

Vuvuzelas are modern spin-offs of traditional instruments made from spiralling kudu horns.

Van Schalkwyk said he decided to develop a plastic version after spotting the original versions of the horn being blown at games.

They are sold by vendors outside the grounds for the equivalent of £2.50.

The company says it had sold 1.5 million vuvuzelas in Europe since October in addition to the millions it has sold in South Africa.

Masincedane Sport expects the tournament will generate sales of up to 20 million rand (around £1.8 million).

South African shopkeepers have also reported a boom in earplug sales as visiting fans try to avoid the noise at matches.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo was the latest World Cup star to voice unease about the trumpet, telling reporters that it affected players' focus.

MUSICAL DESCENDANT OF THE 'KUDU HORN'

Kudu horn

The vuvuzela's musical ancestor is said to be the kudu horn (pictured) - ixilongo in isiXhosa, mhalamhala in Tshivenda - blown to summon African villagers to meetings, according to South African tourism chiefs.

Later versions were made of tin.
The trumpet became so popular at football matches in the late 1990s that a company, Masincedane Sport, was formed in 2001 to mass-produce it.

Made of plastic, they come in a variety of colours - black or white for fans of Orlando Pirates, yellow for Kaizer Chiefs, and so on.

There's uncertainty on the origin of the word 'vuvuzela'.

Some say it comes from the isiZulu for 'making noise'.

Others say it's from township slang related to the word 'shower', because it 'showers people with music'. Or, more prosaically, looks a little like a shower head.

The announcement, on 15 May 2004, that South Africa would host the 2010 Fifa World Cup gave the vuvuzela a huge boost, to say the least - some 20 000 were sold on the day by enterprising street vendors.

It's a noisy thing, so there's no surprise some don't like it. Journalist Jon Qwelane once quipped that he had taken to watching football matches at home - with the volume turned low - because of what he described as 'an instrument of hell'.

'It is difficult for anyone on the pitch to concentrate,' the Real Madrid star told a press conference.

'A lot of players don't like them, but they are going to have to get used to them.'

France captain Patrice Evra has blamed the noise for waking the team in their hotel and stopping the players from hearing each other on the pitch.

And Argentina's Lionel Messi complained they made it impossible for players to communicate on the pitch.

But England defender Jamie Carragher said he's been asked to take some back.

'My kids have been on the phone and they want two. I've got two in my bag already,' Carragher added.

The vuvuzela also secured support from the England Supporters' Band as the travelling musicians vowed to compete with the deafening sound of the vuvuzela.

The brass orchestra, which has not missed an England game home or away since 1996, promised 'the band will play on' despite the din of the South African horns.

After England took on the US in Rustenburg on Saturday, football pundit Chris Kamara complained the noise was stopping fans from generating chants around the ground.

But Mr Hemmingham said: 'We didn't have any problem. The fans around us were all singing along. And a lot of our fans were joining in with us using their vuvuzelas. It all added to the atmosphere.

'There was definitely a different vibe about the place.
'The South Africans are loving it. And when in Rome, you just have to go along with it.

'I bet there is not a single South African player complaining about the vuvuzela. They see it as more than just a noise, it's about the whole spirit of the thing.'

He added: 'They have certainly created a great new market in ear plugs.'

Travelling England fans are subjected to the vuvuzela not just at the stadiums but also around town, early in the morning and late at night.

Mr Hemmingham said: 'You hear them when you land at the airport, you hear them in the shopping malls, and the streets are full of them - it's a 24-hour a day experience.'

But England fans at home are being turned off by the annoying buzz.

Research revealed six out of ten fans who watch games at home are now doing so with the volume turned down to cut out the incessant horn-blowing.

vuvuzela

Loud and proud: An advertising board with a man blowing a vuvuzela is seen in Pretoria

One in four said the noise was ruining their enjoyment of the tournament and seven out of ten want the vuvuzelas banned completely from stadiums.

A string of vuvuzela tales also emerged from the study, including one old lady who rang her cable provider to complain about the 'loud buzzing' coming from her television.

Another pensioner called pest control in over the weekend amid fears her house was being attacked by a swarm of bees as she watched England draw with the USA.

It also emerged thousands of husbands have been asked to turn the volume down by long-suffering wives due to the infuriating hum which accompanies every game.

In the run-up to the World Cup experts revealed the noise from the vuvuzelas is similar to that generated by a chainsaw.

A spokesman for OnePoll.com, which carried out the research said: 'The Vuvuzelas are even more unpopular than Robert Green at the moment you can hear the buzz coming from people's houses.

'They really are spoiling the enjoyment of the competition for millions of viewers.

'Women are finding them particularly annoying and they are causing people who would have liked to watch games to avoid them because of the noise.

'One respondent said he had watched every game so far with the sound turned down.'  OnePoll carried out the study among 3,000 fans via their iPhones.

Meanwhile, help could be at hand for TV viewers put off by the constant droning - an internet download promises to eliminate the sound from broadcasts.

Fans play the £2.45 MP3 file on their HiFi or computer while watching football and it uses 'active noise cancellation' to silence the horns.

The download generates a series of inverted sound waves that 'clash' with the waves of the vuvuzela to effectively cancel each other out.

vuvuzela

Italy's Mauro Camoranesi (right) and Simone Pepe pretend to play the vuvuzela during a training session at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium

The download lasts 45 minutes - enough for one half of football - and can be put on repeat for the second half.

The website, antivuvuzelafilter.com, says: 'This is your chance to enjoy the FIFA World Cup 2010 WITHOUT the annoying vuvuzela noise!

'Get rid of the vuvuzela noise through active noise cancellation.' 

For maximum effect, antivuvuzelafilter.com say their download should be played through a speaker placed next to the television and set to the same volume.

If done properly it should make the vuvuzelas 'so faint as to be inaudible to human ears'.

[ via Dailymail ]

World's Oldest Mother, 70, lies Dying with Baby at Her Side

After risking her life to beat stigma of being barren

The world's oldest mother is dying just 18 months after giving birth at the age of 70.

Rajo Devi Lohan says she is too weak to recover from complications after her IVF pregnancy.

News about her condition came as it emerged that a 66-year-old has become the oldest woman in the world to have triplets.

rajoFrail: Rajo Devi Lohan is too weak to care for her 18-month-old daughter Naveen.

Some experts fear Bhateri Devi could suffer the same fate as Mrs Lohan.

Both women received IVF treatment at the same controversial clinic in India after being unable to bear children throughout their married lives, which is regarded as a stigma in their culture.

Mrs Lohan, who gave birth to her daughter Naveen in November 2008, is now confined to bed and so frail she cannot lift the little girl.

But she has no regrets, saying: 'I dreamed about having a child all my life. It does not matter to me that I am ill, because at least I lived long enough to become a mother.

'The doctor never warned me it was dangerous to have a baby at my age. But I was healthy before, and now I am very sick.'

Mrs Lohan, now 72, and her husband Balla, 73, are poverty- stricken farmers from the village of Alewa in Haryana state, north of Delhi.

After nearly 54 years of marriage they were desperate to have a child so took out loans to pay for the £2,000 IVF treatment.

Bhateri DeviBhateri Devi, 66, has just become the oldest mother of triplets in the world

They have no understanding of the risks of giving birth so late in life. Mrs Lohan is now in such pain that her sister Omi, 60, has moved in to help look after Naveen.

'Omi brings Naveen to kiss me and I tell her I love her very much,' she said. 'Her first word was "Ma". I was so happy to hear that.'

Mrs Lohan suffered internal bleeding and her womb ruptured after the caesarean birth, but she ignored doctors' orders to rest in bed and instead squatted down every day to milk the family buffalo.

She also needed difficult surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. Her body has not recovered from the two operations and she has to take daily painkillers.

Mrs Lohan's doctor Anurag Bishnoi denied her illness was linked to her pregnancy.

'Even though Rajo's health is deteriorating, at least she will die in peace,' he said. 'She does not have to face the stigma of being barren.'

'She had an ovarian cyst that was causing her problems but that has now been removed. The IVF treatment is completely safe. Rajo is an old woman and her life expectancy was only about five to seven years.'

He stoked controversy by announcing yesterday that triplets had been born to Bhateri Devi at his National Fertility Centre in Hisar, which is also in Haryana.

Rajo Devi LohanUnwell: Rajo Devi Lohan, in 2008, took out loans to pay for the £2,000 IVF treatment

After nearly 44 years as a childless wife, she gave birth to two dangerously underweight boys and a girl on May 29. The infants, who weighed 2lb 6oz, 2lb 4oz and 1lb 7oz, are in intensive care.

Dr Bishnoi boasted that Mrs Devi's government birth certificate proved she was born on May 21, 1944, making her 66.

'This is authentic and therefore she has become the oldest mother in the world to give birth to triplets,' he said.

'She has become a mother for the first time and conceived only in our third attempt through IVF.

'For the first two attempts, only two embryos were transferred in each cycle. But in the third attempt three embryos were transferred in her uterus, resulting in the birth of three children by caesarean.'

Mrs Devi's delighted husband Deva Singh, 64, brushed aside potential risks, saying: 'She has fulfilledmy dream of having a child and gave my family an heir.

'She was my first wife and after she failed to conceive a child, I married twice but again I did not have any child from my other wives. I am very happy and I will provide all the best facilities to my children in the coming years.'

But a London-based fertility expert questioned the wisdom of helping such old women to give birth.

'Any woman over 70 putting their body through the rigours of birth is endangering themselves,' he said.

'Older mums usually require caesareans, which is obviously dangerous for women, but especially older women who are also prone to blood clots, and complications, such as internal haemorrhaging.'

[ via Dailymail ]

Kylie Minogue Channels Lady Gaga in Wet and Wild Photoshoot as she claims she has influenced singer

By Sarah Bull

A feud began when Christina Aguilera was first compared to Lady Gaga.

But Kylie Minogue has insisted she doesn't mind the comparison between herself and the Bad Romance singer, and feels she has had an influence on Gaga's career.

Kylie made the admission as she posed for an extremely Gaga-esque photoshoot with BlackBook magazine in which she is seen posing in a series of sexy cutaway swimsuits - covered in water.
kylie minogue
Sexy: Kylie Minogue poses covered in water in a black cutaway swimsuit for BlackBook magazine

kylie minogue
Racy: The 42-year-old clearly has no concerns about baring her figure, and poses in a skintight white costume

She said: 'I think there’s an element of me in her, but you’d also have to add into that mix all of the other women we’ve been talking about.
'It’s all part of a chain. In as much as dance music has gone mainstream, I’d love to think that I’ve played a part in that.'

 
The 42-year-old singer also said she hopes her upcoming studio album Aphrodite is a successs.

She said: 'Aphrodite is the goddess of love, and as far as the music goes, there’s a feeling of euphoria on this one.
'Am I happy right now? What’s happy? I have moments of happiness and sometimes they’re even strung together, but I definitely have dark moments, too.
'Thankfully, those don’t last very long. I can go down very quickly, but I won’t stay there.'
kylie minoguekylie minogue
Monochrome diva: Kylie looks better than ever in the new shoot, and hopes her new album will be a success

Despite shooting to fame after starring in Australian soap Neighbours, Kylie has had little experience in the acting world recently bar a few cameo roles.
But she says she is looking to get back into movies, explaining: 'The mid-’90s were a bad patch, but show me an actor who hasn’t done a few bad jobs.
'I have a deep desire to challenge myself with that again.

'As a ‘pop star,’ I’ve created this world for myself, and it becomes very natural to stay inside of it, but I’d love to do some independent films.

'It’s still very early, but I’m in the process of choosing between specific parts.'
kylie minogue
Glistening: Kylie even manages to look sexy with her eyes closed and her hair slicked back in this shot
kylie minoguekylie minogue
Coy: The singer, who looks toned in a blue, black and yellow top, is planning to make a return to acting

She added: 'I have big ambitions, but I’m really quiet about it. What’s that saying? "Never let people know how much you know."'

The BlackBook photos have emerged after Kylie was spotted wearing a Kabbalah bracelet while in London yesterday.
It's not clear how long the singer has been following the Judaism offshoot, or how she became involved, but she looked happy and relaxed as she walked around the city wearing a tight red dress.
The full interview with Kylie appears in this month's issue of BlackBook magazine
The full interview with Kylie appears in this month's issue of BlackBook magazine
[ via  Dailymail ]

Naga Groups Suspend Manipur Blockade

By Biswajyoti Das

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00013/DARJEELING_BANDH_13321e.jpgGuwahati, Jun 15 : Naga groups on Monday agreed to suspend a two-month-long blockade of a vital highway that has caused food and fuel shortages in the troubled northeastern state of Manipur.

The Naga Students Federation, one of the main groups behind the blockade, announced the suspension after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on the same day the government announced it would send troops to end the standoff.

Tribal groups from Nagaland blocked supplies to neighbouring Manipur, home to more than 2.5 million people, for preventing their separatist leader Thuingaleng Muivah from visiting his birthplace.

Insurgency has long plagued Manipur as well and dozens of tribal insurgent groups still exist, though violence levels in the region have fallen.

The Manipur stand-off is seen as a new security headache for the central government which is already struggling with a growing Maoist insurgency.

The Nagas have been fighting Indian forces for a free Nagalim state carved out of the northeastern region, including parts of Manipur. Manipuris oppose this and see Muivah's attempts to visit his village as undermining their territorial integrity.

The Naga Students Federation said it had suspended the blockade after Prime Minister Singh agreed to look into Naga grievances.

"The blockade has been temporarily suspended from 6 p.m. (1230 GMT) of June 15," said a statement, which was supported by almost all groups enforcing the blockade.

"After meeting the prime minister this morning, he assured us he will look into the matter and asked us to call off the blockade."

The 60-day blockade has dried up supplies in the state and a litre of gasoline is selling for almost double the normal rate while food prices have soared and medicines are scarce.

Earlier, Home secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters federal troops would be deployed from Tuesday to end the blockade.

"We have decided to send central forces to remove the blockade," Pillai told Press Trust of India news agency.

Manipur has a border with Myanmar and is considered India's trade gateway to Southeast Asia. Government officials say ensuring peace is vital because it could help promote international trade.

The Naga rebellion is a 60-year revolt in which tens of thousands were killed in Nagaland before a truce was declared in 1997. Negotiations with New Delhi have made little progress since then. Muivah, who is mostly based in Amsterdam, is in now in India for talks.

(Editing by Bappa Majumdar and Sugita Katyal)

Major Infrastructures Projects in Mizoram Gets Underway says CM Thanhawla

Major infrastructures projects in Mizoram get underway says CM ThanhawlaAizawl, Jun 15 : On his return from his fruitful visit to the national captital, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla met the media persons at his office chamber, yesterday.

The Chief Minister reported about his trip to Delhi and revealed certain majors implementation of Government projects in the state.

The Chief Minister was conveyed by Ministry of Power, the Government of India’s assistance and approval to revive 60MW Tuirial Hydel Project after his meeting with Prime Minister, UPA Chairperson, Finance Minister, DONER Minister and other top officials.

Public Investment Board(PIB), Goverment Of India had approved the application submitted by Mizoram to revive the Tuirial Hydel Project, already commenced in 1998, with the revised estimate of Rs.913 Crores against the initial estimation of Rs 368.72 crores during the time of its inception.

The task of contruction is being entrusted to NEEPCO which had been busy finding appropriate funds and loans from several finance institutions and Government of India.

The Chief Minister added that the Centre has shown a keen interest in NLUP and that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has accepted his invitation to formally launch the NLUP programme, in principle.

He had also apprised Smt. Sonia Gandhi, UPA, Chairperson on the matter and other important needs of Mizoram.

He reiteriated that the NLUP has the potential not only to replace the destructive shifting cultivation with more sustainable land-based means of livelihood but also can restore ecological balance.If properly implemented, the NLUP would accelerate the GDP of the state in the agriculuture sector to around 4 percent, he stated.

He had also expressed the possibilities of getting substantial amount of funds from the UPA National flagship schemes such as Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission(JNNURM) for the purpose of contructing RopeWays at convenient places, construction of Ring road around Aizawl city, widening the existing roads within the city and setting up of Solid Waste Management Centre .

Proposal to set up Indian Institute of Mass Communication(IIMC) in Mizoram, Rs 80 Crores for Police Modernisation scheme from Ministry Of Home Affairs, proposal to set up National Institute of Technology (NIT) besides Aizawl City, funding of constructing MPSC Exam Hall, Law College Building and food Processing Centre from DONER were also in the road map, the Chief Minister stated.

On Sixth Pay, the Chief Minister was with the view that no government is capable to suffice each and every demand of every unit of government services.

Anomalies of a section of service associations regarding the Sixth Pay would be looked into before implementation of the Sixth Pay Recommendation submitted by the Cabinet Sub-Committee.

The recommendations submitted by Sub-Committee on Sixth Pay would be soon be implemented provided the financial position of Mizoram permits, he said.

Simon Poulsen OWN GOAL VIDEO: Denmark Blunder Gives Netherlands World Cup Lead

Simon Poulsen Own Goal VideoDenmark and the Netherlands played to a scoreless tie in the first half of their World Cup matchup Monday, but a costly Danish error gave the Dutch the lead just after the second half began.

Less than one minute into the new half and with the Netherlands threatening, left back Simon Poulsen attempted to clear the ball with a header, but instead he deflected it into teammate Daniel Agger's back, where it bounced into the Danish goal, giving a score to the Dutch team.

The goal was credited to Simon Poulsen. Scroll down for video.

'Karate Kid' Crushes 'A-Team' In Battle Of The Remakes

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/174368/thumbs/s-KARATE-KID-ATEAM-large.jpgLos Angeles, Jun 15 : "The Karate Kid" has won a 1980s showdown at the box office against "The A-Team."

Sony's remake of 1984's "The Karate Kid" debuted at No. 1 for the weekend with a whopping $56 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The big-screen adaptation of the 1980s TV series "The A-Team" came in at less than half that, the 20th Century Fox release opening in second place with $26 million.

After three weekends at No. 1, DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek Forever After" slipped to No. 3 with $15.8 million. The animated hit raised its domestic haul to $210.1 million, becoming the fourth movie released this year to top $200 million.

With a relatively modest production budget of $40 million, "The Karate Kid" far exceeded the studio's expectations. Early on, Sony executives would have been happy if the movie opened to half its $56 million debut weekend, said Rory Bruer, the studio's head of distribution.

Those expectations began to rise once the studio realized it had a crowd-pleaser on its hands, Bruer said.

"It's just an unmitigated grand slam hit," said Bruer, who also worked on distribution for the 1984 version. "I loved the original `Karate Kid,' but they took this beloved title, and they made it relevant, fresh and absolutely exciting."

The big opening for "The Karate Kid" gave Hollywood a boost after a weak start to the summer season. "Iron Man 2" opened big the first weekend in May, but the box office has lagged since then.

According to box-office tracker Hollywood.com, overall revenues came in at $153 million, up 11 percent from the same weekend last year, when "The Hangover" led with $32.8 million.

"The Karate Kid" stars Jaden Smith as an American boy who moves with his mom to China, where he takes on a bully under the guidance of an unassuming martial-arts master (Jackie Chan).

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With his first lead role, 11-year-old Smith had an opening weekend that stacked up well against the track record of his superstar father, Will Smith, who has had only two debuts bigger than "The Karate Kid" ("I Am Legend" at $77.2 million and "Hancock" at $62.6 million). Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith are producers on "The Karate Kid."

"It's like, `Who's the biggest star now, dad?'" said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "It proves the box-office apple doesn't fall far from the money tree in that household."

"The A-Team" features Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper and Jessica Biel in a tale of former Army Rangers trying to clear their names after they are framed for a crime they did not commit.

Chris Aronson, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox, said the momentum of a strong weekend should benefit "The A-Team," which received high marks in exit polls from the under-25 crowd.

"It's good that the industry finally has an up weekend, so it's nice to be a part of that," Aronson said. "We're very optimistic that we're now in an upswing in the business and that we're going to play and play as our word of mouth spreads."

Hollywood looks to build on its momentum next weekend as Pixar Animation goes back to its roots with "Toy Story 3," the latest sequel to the 1995 hit that was the first feature-length computer-animated film.

In limited release, IFC Films' documentary "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" opened strongly with $171,500 in seven theaters, for an average of $24,500 per cinema. That compared to a $15,288 average in 3,663 theaters for "The Karate Kid."

Also debuting well in limited release was Roadside Attractions' drama "Winter's Bone," which took in $87,000 in four theaters for a $21,750 average. The top dramatic prize winner at January's Sundance Film Festival, "Winter's Bone" stars Jennifer Lawrence as a teenager desperately searching for her missing father in the backwoods crime culture of the Ozark Mountains.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Karate Kid," $56 million.

2. "The A-Team," $26 million.

3. "Shrek Forever After," $15.8 million.

4. "Get Him to the Greek," $10.1 million.

5. "Killers," $8.2 million.

6. "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," $6.6 million.

7. "Marmaduke," $6 million.

8. "Sex and the City 2," $5.5 million.

9. "Iron Man 2," $4.6 million.

10. "Splice," $2.9 million.

[via Hollywood ]