If the tense confrontation with Iran ignites into war, strategists say they expect Iran will strike with thousands of deadly sea mines to try to halt oil tanker traffic and take out American warships.

In the shallow, crowded waters of the Persian Gulf, mines pose a sobering challenge. When the U.S. Navy has faced a massive mine threat there in the past, it has failed to protect even its own ships.

Now, both Iran and the United States seem poised to fight it out again. Iran has acquired a stockpile of 2,000 to 3,000 mines, including "smart'' Chinese-built mines that could track and target U.S. warships, according to a report by Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington.The 660-pound warhead carried by one such mine could puncture the hull of a U.S. aircraft carrier, the report says.

But the Navy says this time it's prepared for a mine war, with a four-ship fleet of high-tech counter-mine vessels patrolling the Gulf, along with airborne sensors, robot submarines, a squadron of mine-hunting dolphins and sea lions on standby -- and two decades worth of operational experience off the coast of Iran.

The United States holds air and naval superiority across the region. Nevertheless, mine warfare in the Persian Gulf could be a lengthy, nerve-wracking conflict, putting at risk the steady flow of oil tankers and the ships and sailors of the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

Just as cheap, makeshift bombs, or IEDs, have exacted a bloody toll on Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan -- killing more than 3,000 and wounding more than 31,000, according to the Defense Department -- mines are an indirect but effective tactic for Iran to use against a more powerful opponent.

"No nation from this region wants to take the U.S. on with conventional munitions," said a senior Navy official, who agreed to discuss the issue anonymously because of continuing international diplomacy relating to Iran. "The asymmetric weapon is the way to go, and mines are cheap, easily manufactured and, not unlike an IED, are tripped by an unsuspecting victim," he said.

Syrian artillery pounded rebel-held areas of Homs on Monday as President Bashar al-Assad's government announced that voters had overwhelmingly approved a new constitution in a referendum derided as a sham by his critics at home and abroad.

The outside world has proved powerless to halt the killing in Syria, where repression of initially peaceful protests has spawned an armed insurrection by army deserters and others.

However, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent entered the besieged Baba Amro district of Homs and evacuated three people on Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. Foreign reporters in the area were not evacuated and the bodies of two journalists killed there had not been recovered, it said.

While foreign powers argued over whether to arm the rebels, the Syrian Interior Ministry said the reformed constitution, which could keep Assad in power until 2028, had received 89.4 percent approval from more than 8 million voters.

Syrian dissidents and Western leaders dismissed as a farce Sunday's vote, conducted in the midst of the country's bloodiest turmoil in decades, although Assad says the new constitution will lead to multi-party elections within three months.

Officials put national voter turnout at close to 60 percent, but diplomats who toured polling stations in Damascus saw only a handful of voters at each location. On the same day, at least 59 people were killed in violence around the country.


Qatar joined Saudi Arabia in advocating arming the Syrian rebels, given that Russia and China have twice used their vetoes to block any action by the U.N. Security Council.

"I think we should do whatever is necessary to help them, including giving them weapons to defend themselves," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said in Oslo.

Arab countries should help lead a military force to provide a safe haven for anti-Assad forces inside Syria, he added.

Assad says he is fighting foreign-backed "armed terrorist groups" and his main allies - Russia, China and Iran - fiercely oppose any outside intervention intended to add him to the list of Arab autocrats unseated by popular revolts in the past year.
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"The Artist" is the first silent winner since the World War I saga "Wings" was named outstanding picture at the first Oscars in 1929 had a silent film earned the top prize.

"I am the happiest director in the world," Havanavicius said, thanking the cast, crew and canine co-star Uggie. "I also want to thank the financier, the crazy person who put money in the movie."

The other wins for "The Artist" were musical score and art direction. Martin Scorsese's Paris adventure "Hugo" also won five Oscars, all in technical categories.

Streep's win was her first Oscar in 29 years, since she won best actress for "Sophie's Choice." She had lost 12 times in a row since then. Streep also has a supporting-actress Oscar for 1979's "Kramer vs. Kramer."

"When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America go, `Oh, no, why her again?' But whatever," Streep said, laughing.

"I really understand I'll never be up here again. I really want to think all my colleagues, my friends. I look out here and I see my life before my eyes, my old friends, my new friends. Really, this is such a great honor but the think that counts the most with me is the friendship and the love and the sheer job we've shared making moves together," said Streep, the record-holder with 17 acting nominations.

Streep is only the fifth performer to receive three Oscars. Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman and Walter Brennan all earned three, while Katharine Hepburn won four.

It was a night that went as expected, with front-runners claiming key prizes. Streep's triumph provided a bit of drama, since she had been in a two-woman race with Viola Davis for "The Help."

The biggest surprise may have been the length of the show, which clocked in at about three hours and 10 minutes, brisk for a ceremony that has run well over four hours some years.

The 82-year-old Plummer became the oldest acting winner ever for his role as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in "Beginners."

"You're only two years older than me, darling," Plummer said, addressing his Oscar statue in this 84th year of the awards. "Where have you been all my life? I have a confession to make. When I first emerged from my mother's womb, I was already rehearsing my Oscar speech."

The previous oldest winner was best-actress recipient Jessica Tandy for "Driving Miss Daisy," at age 80.

Completing an awards-season blitz that took her from Hollywood bit player to star, Spencer won for her role in "The Help" as a headstrong black maid whose willful ways continually land her in trouble with white employers in 1960s Mississippi.

Spencer wept throughout her breathless speech, in which she apologized between laughing and crying for running a bit long on her time limit.

For years I’ve had my doubts about Olivia Wilde’s hotness sustainability, one minute she’s gorgeous the next she’s weird looking, but I’m beginning to think she’s the real deal. Here she is out for a stroll with her dude wearing what I originally thought was the kind of thing Amish women wear while working the fields. That is until I looked a little closer and saw her perky little breasts making an appearance. She fooled me, I almost walked right by these pictures. Well played. I highly doubt the Amish show this much cleavage.

A black velvet dress that belonged to Whitney Houston and a pair of earrings she wore in “The Bodyguard” will be sold to the highest bidder next month.
Celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien said Sunday the pieces and other Houston items became available after the singer’s unexpected death on Feb. 11 and will be included among a long-planned sale of Hollywood memorabilia such as Charlie Chaplin’s cane, Clark Gable’s jacket from “Gone With the Wind” and Charlton Heston’s staff from “The Ten Commandments.”
Julien said celebrity collectibles often become available after their namesakes die.
“It proves a point that these items, they’re an investment,” Julien said. “You buy items just like a stock. Buy at the right time and sell at the right time, and they just increase in value.”
But could it be too soon to profit from Houston’s passing? She was just buried on Saturday.
“It’s a celebration of her life,” Julien said. “If you hide these things in fear that you’re going to offend someone – her life is to be celebrated. These items are historic now that she passed. They become a part of history. They should be in museums. She’s lived a life and had a career that nobody else has ever had.”


Houston is “someone who’s going to maintain a collectability,” he said. “For people who are fans of Whitney Houston and never would have had a chance to meet her and never got to talk to her, these are items that literally touched a part of her life. They are a way to relate to her or be a part of her life without having known her.”
The singer’s floor-length black dress is valued at $1,000 but likely to collect much more. Same goes for the vest she wore in “The Bodyguard,” listed at $400, and the faux-pearl earrings that start at $600.
Houston fans and other collectors can bid online, by phone or in person during the “Hollywood Legends” auction on March 31 and April 1. Lots will be shown during a free public exhibition beginning March 19 at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif., just blocks from the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Houston died at age 48.

39 Eyerolls From Episode 3, ‘Enter Mr. DiMaggio,’ In Chronological Order:
You’re a waitress.” “What about the adoption?” “You got it! You’re Marilyn!”

Presented without commentary, the most absurd, comical, self-serious and/or humorless moments from episode three, “Enter Mr. DiMaggio.”



1. Derek and Ivy’s sexy time.

2. “I’d really like to get together sometime and work on her.”

3. “I’ll have my assistant call you and put it in the book.”

4. “Do you think he gave me the part because I slept with him?”

5. “You got the part. You got. The part.”

6. “Life is long. Theater is longer.”

7. “We’re Brits, that’s what we do.”

8. “How’s this?” [KISS] “What movie are we doing now?” “‘Gone With the Wind,’ baby.”

9. “He’s doing that Bruno Mars show.”

10. That Bruno Mars show.

11. “Well, apparently he’s a huge baseball fan.”

12. “I think it sounds amazing.”

13. “It’s only a workshop! All I need is $200,000.”

14. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

15. Ellis and his friends.

16. Ellis in the kitchen.

17. Julia’s brainstorming face.

18. Ellis stealing Julia’s notebook.

19. Iowa.

20. “I look like a duck in that costume.” “A very fetching duck.”

21. Ellis kissing his roommate.

22. “I just wanna be a great father.”

23. “I think Artie would love to see his dad play Joe DiMaggio.”

24. Julia’s sexual tension face with Michael.

25. “You smell good.”

26. “It’s not actually a secret. They’re having sex in the dressing room.”

27. “I feel like you should give him a little space right now.”

28. “I’m gonna get you a cup of tea.”

29. Ellis’s smirk.

30. “Feminism is overrated.”

31. “Time for some karaoke!”

32. “Hey Broadway!”

33. Karen’s “Hey Broadway!” friend dancing.

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French actor Jean Dujardin beat fellow nominees like George Clooney and Brad Pitt to win the Best Actor statuette for his role in the silent, black and white movie “The Artist” at the 84th Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles, California on Sunday (February 26).
Jean, who sat at the table with his co-star Uggie (the real star of the movie!), a 10 year-old Jack Russell, didn’t have to speak to win this Oscar, which is quite an accomplishment. The 39 year-old was certainly amused by the win as he proclaimed his love for America and added, “If George Valentin could speak, he would say: Merci! Formidable!” Congratulations!

Taiwanese mobile phone giant HTC has announced the new One series of smartphones, including the X, S and V handsets.

The One X, previously referred to as the HTC Edge or Endeavor, has a powerful quad core 1.5 GHz processor and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with the HTC Sense 4 user interface overlay.

HTC One X and One S


The smartphone comes with a 4.7-inch 720p high definition touchscreen (1280 x 720 resolution) and an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recorder. It has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory.

HTC said that the One X will also be available in select 4G LTE markets with an LTE-enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, including on AT&T in the US.

The One S also runs Ice-Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4, but has a dual core 1.5 GHz processor. It comes with an 8-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory.

Users of both new devices can benefit from an additional 25GB of storage for two years, available through HTC's partnership with cloud storage provider DropBox. The phones also come with Beats Audio software for an enhanced audio experience.

HTC said that the One V is a lower end smartphone that has a "unibody design", a 3.7-inch screen and a rear camera, but no front-facing snapper.

"The best moments in life are captured with a photo or remembered by a song, so it was key for the HTC One series to improve these emotional experiences with an amazing camera and authentic sound experience," said HTC Corporation chief executive Peter Chou.
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The Private Practice actress stars as Amelia Shepherd in the Shonda Rhimes series, the sister of Grey's Anatomy's Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey).

Speaking about having her first child, she told People: "We're over the moon. I'm starting to show now. Everybody on set has been pretty sweet and is offering me fruit."

She added that her character will soon also become pregnant in Private Practice, revealing: "This year Amelia, who had been sober, fell off the wagon after her friend died. She hit rock bottom, had an intervention and went to rehab. So this news is on the heels of that."

Scorsone explained that Rhimes decided to use her real life pregnancy for a dramatic new storyline, saying: "The news came out of left field and I think she decided she could use this for dramatic purposes.

"As an actress it never feels like the right time. But once we knew what was happening we were like, 'This is perfect.'

"Shonda was immediately excited and talked about what we could do when the baby came so [he or she] could be on set. She's been unbelievably supportive."

Rob Giles's music with The Rescues has featured in several episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, while he has also worked with its stars Kevin McKidd and Sara Ramirez.