commonly used weedkiller turns male frogs into females

Atrazine, one of the most commonly used and controversial weedkillers, can turn male frogs into females, researchers reported on Monday.

The experiment is the first to show such complete effects of atrazine, which had been known to disrupt hormones and which is one of the chief suspects in the decline of amphibians such as frogs around the world.

"Atrazine-exposed males were both demasculinized (chemically castrated) and completely feminized as adults," Tyrone Hayes of the University of California Berkeley and colleagues wrote in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The chemical had been shown to disrupt development and make frogs develop both male and female features -- termed hermaphroditism. This study of 40 male frogs shows the process can go even further, Hayes said.

"Before, we knew we got fewer males than we should have, and we got hermaphrodites. Now, we have clearly shown that many of these animals are sex-reversed males," Hayes said in a statement.

"Atrazine has caused a hormonal imbalance that has made them develop into the wrong sex, in terms of their genetic constitution."

SIMILAR EFFECTS ON HUMANS?

Whether the effects translate to humans is far from clear. Frogs have thin skin that can absorb chemicals easily and they literally bathe in the polluted water.

The European Union banned atrazine in 2004. The finding may add pressure to the United States to more closely regulate the chemical, used widely in agriculture.

"Approximately 80 million pounds (36,287 tonnes) are applied annually in the United States alone, and atrazine is the most common pesticide contaminant of ground and surface water," the researchers wrote.

"Atrazine can be transported more than 1,000 km (621 miles) from the point of application via rainfall and, as a result, contaminates otherwise pristine habitats, even in remote areas where it is not used," they added, citing other researchers.

an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs

A giant asteroid smashing into Earth is the only plausible explanation for the extinction of the dinosaurs, a global scientific team said on Thursday, hoping to settle a row that has divided experts for decades.

A panel of 41 scientists from across the world reviewed 20 years' worth of research to try to confirm the cause of the so-called Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) extinction, which created a "hellish environment" around 65 million years ago and wiped out more than half of all species on the planet.

Scientific opinion was split over whether the extinction was caused by an asteroid or by volcanic activity in the Deccan Traps in what is now India, where there were a series of super volcanic eruptions that lasted around 1.5 million years.

The new study, conducted by scientists from Europe, the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan and published in the journal Science, found that a 15-kilometre (9 miles) wide asteroid slamming into Earth at Chicxulub in what is now Mexico was the culprit.

"We now have great confidence that an asteroid was the cause of the KT extinction. This triggered large-scale fires, earthquakes measuring more than 10 on the Richter scale, and continental landslides, which created tsunamis," said Joanna Morgan of Imperial College London, a co-author of the review.

The asteroid is thought to have hit Earth with a force a billion times more powerful than the atomic bomb at Hiroshima.

Morgan said the "final nail in the coffin for the dinosaurs" came when blasted material flew into the atmosphere, shrouding the planet in darkness, causing a global winter and "killing off many species that couldn't adapt to this hellish environment."

Scientists working on the study analyzed the work of paleontologists, geochemists, climate modelers, geophysicists and sedimentologists who have been collecting evidence about the KT extinction over the last 20 years.

Geological records show the event that triggered the dinosaurs' demise rapidly destroyed marine and land ecosystems, they said, and the asteroid hit "is the only plausible explanation for this."

'red knights' will not overpay for manchester united football club

A group of wealthy supporters looking into a possible bid for football club Manchester United said they would not overpay, and dismissed financial numbers circulating in the media as purely speculative.

The Times reported on Friday that 60 investors have pledged up to 1.5 billion pounds in their bid to seize control of the club. A spokesman for the group said they had received a very good level of interest.

The 'Red Knights', a collection of City figures including former Football League chairman Keith Harris and Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jim O'Neill, have said they are looking at the feasibility of putting together a bid for the world's third-richest football club.

manu fans hope about one million will join protest

Manchester United fans believe they can get a million people around the world to join their colourful protest against the club's controversial American owners, the Glazer family.

"The aim now is to take (the protest) from the Old Trafford stadium to the whole supporter base around the world and we're getting photos of fans in places like Singapore, America, everywhere," said Sean Bones, vice-chairman of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST), which has asked fans to wear green and gold in support of their campaign.

"Wearing the green and gold means you can still feel very passionate about your club, but at the same time you are saying you are against everything the Glazers have done to Manchester United and what they are planning to do," Bones told in an interview.

"It started off as a peaceful, visual protest and it struck a chord. It is more than a protest now, it is a movement.

"We wanted to grow the membership up to 100,000 by the end of the season, but it doubled from 53,000 to 106,000 in two days. The most important thing...is for the campaign to continue to grow and we believe one million is a realistic target."

The Green and Gold campaign is based on the colours of United's forerunners, Newton Heath, and is a visible protest against the Glazers' ownership of United -- once the most profitable sporting club in the world but now with debts of 716.5 million pounds ($1.08 billion).

MUST has been encouraged by the emergence of a group of rich United fans, known as the 'Red Knights', which is putting together a bid to buy the club for more than 1.15 billion pounds.

United chief executive David Gill said on Wednesday the club, who are chasing their fourth successive Premier League title, were not for sale but the fan base is mobilising nonetheless.

After the Red Knights revealed their takeover plans on Tuesday, MUST's membership soared by 25,000 in 24 hours with another 28,000 adding their names the following day.

A membership counter on MUST's website (www.joinmust.org) has passed 110,000.

ipad will hit us stores april 3, then 9 international markets

Apple Inc said the first iPads will be in US stores on April 3 and hit nine international markets later in the month, easing concerns that manufacturing constraints could delay launch.

The news sent shares of Apple surging as much as 4.3 percent to an all-time high of $219.70 on the Nasdaq, as analysts said the speedy international rollout could help build sales momentum.

The 9.7-inch touchscreen iPad, which is designed to surf the Web, play video and games, and read digital books, is the most anticipated product launch from Apple since the iPhone in 2007.

Chief Executive Steve Jobs unveiled the tablet in late January, but the company did not announce any international markets until Friday, when it said the tablet will go on sale in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.

"I think it eases concerns that were circulating about supply. There's always so much speculation around a launch, and this alleviates those fears," said Cross Research analyst Shannon Cross, adding that the breadth of the international launch should reassure investors.

Cross expects the iPad to be a major growth driver for Apple eventually. She estimates the company will sell 4 million to 5 million units in the first year, which will add $1 to earnings per share.

The April 3 launch date means Apple won't likely book any iPad revenue in the current fiscal second quarter, which closes at the end of March. Nonetheless, Barclay's analyst Ben Reitzes said the launch plans added some "welcome clarity."

"Not only is the device available April 3 in the US, but we believe availability in nine other countries by the end of April is likely quicker than many thought, lending potential upside to consensus estimates into mid year," he wrote in a research note.

There has been some debate on how successful the much-hyped iPad really will be. While most agree that the device is well-designed and appealing to consumers, some analysts are not convinced there is a big market for tablet computers.

The iPad will have to compete for consumer attention with a myriad of established devices, including smartphones, netbooks and dedicated e-readers like Amazon.com Inc's Kindle.

Apple said that an iBooks application for the iPad -- which will compete with the Kindle -- would be available as a free download on April 3.

elton john and leon Russell recording album together

In an unexpected pairing, Elton John and Leon Russell are recording an album together in Los Angeles with producer T Bone Burnett.

Both performers have written songs for the project, which has no title or release date yet.

Billboard.com has learned that Neil Young, Booker T. Jones, Marc Ribot and Jim Keltner are among the guests who have contributed to the album.

According to a post on the Web site of longtime John collaborator Bernie Taupin, 15 songs have been put to tape, "from Stones-like rockers, country-tinged ballads, gospel and even a Sinatra-like weepy similar to something torn from the grooves of 'In the Wee Small Hours.'"

"It's varied in scope and drenched in a rich tapestry of atmospherics," Taupin says. "Don't expect to hear the old EJ/BT sound; this is organic recording unlike anything you've heard from our duo before."

John's last studio album was 2006's "The Captain and the Kid." He is winding down a spring tour with Billy Joel and has solo tour dates on tap through September.

Russell, 67, has been largely out of the spotlight in recent years, releasing albums on his Leon Russell Records label. He underwent brain surgery in January, but Taupin says "his playing is masterful as ever and his contribution to the project grows more exciting with the passing of every day."

producers of oscars promise fast and fierce oscars

Organizers of this year's Oscar telecast promised on Friday the competition will be fierce and the show fast-paced in a bid to boost viewership as box office hits like "Avatar" vie for best film.

Sunday's Academy Awards -- criticized in the past as bland, unfunny and even unappealing for a young audience -- is being outfitted with more humour and a youthful mentality, organizers told a news conference on the red carpet outside Oscar's home, the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

"We designed part of the show, not to lose the traditional audience but to reinvite the younger audience," co-producer Bill Mechanic said before boldly predicting "anybody under the age of 25 will enjoy the show unlike any other."

Organizers hope the biggest change in the awards -- the expansion to 10 best picture nominees instead of five -- will yield a larger TV audience after more mainstream movies got the nod.

In past years, lower-budget and little-seen critical successes have dominated the world's top movie awards, such as the dark drama "No Country For Old Men" that won best film in a 2008 telecast watched by a small U.S. audience of 32 million.

When "Titanic" sailed home with 11 Oscars including best film at the 1998 ceremony, a high of 55.2 million people watched.

Widening the field to 10 nominees helped the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences include hits like "The Blind Side" and "Avatar," which surpassed "Titanic" to become the No. 1 all-time draw at global box offices with $2.5 billion.

"The competition is a bit more fierce this year," Academy President Tom Sherak said. "That is good for the show."

Asked if the producers were under pressure to live up to the expectations of a bigger audience, Sherak said the nominations for films that have proved popular such as "Avatar" were "going to help."

"When people are invested in those movies they have seen, then they can cheer for them or root for them and they can possibly win," he said.

"Hairspray" director and show co-producer Adam Shankman put it this way: "Snobbery departed the Oscars this year."

Among new presenters announced on Friday were Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and best actor nominee Colin Firth.

Hosting is the unlikely pairing of Alec Baldwin, 51, who specializes in sardonic quips not unlike the character he plays on the TV comedy "30 Rock," and Steve Martin, 64, who specializes in absurdist and physical comedy.

Baldwin will bring out the "wild-and-crazy guy in Steve Martin you haven't seen for a while," said Shankman. Mechanic said the pair would make the show "more interesting and faster-paced."

precious' sweeps indipendent film oscars awards

"Precious," the harrowing tale of an incest survivor's struggle for self-acceptance, swept the Spirit Awards on Friday, taking home five prizes at the independent film world's version of the Oscars.

The film's haul included best feature, director amd first screenplay. Its actors, newcomer Gabourey Sidibe and comedienne Mo'Nique, took home the honors for female lead and supporting female, respectively.

For Mo'Nique, who played an abusive mother, it represented yet another statuette for her groaning shelf this awards season. The only event left is the Academy Awards on Sunday.

But the 42-year-old actress told reporters backstage that she was not preparing an Oscar acceptance speech, because "I think the universe would say, 'You have a lot of nerve.'"

Sidibe, 26, plucked from obscurity to play an illiterate schoolgirl impregnated by her stepfather, recalled that her mother would give her $2 a day for going to school. She saved her funds and saw her first 1995 independent movie, "Welcome to the Dollhouse."

"Perhaps that was when my independent spirit was born," said Sidibe, who described herself as "kind of a dork."

The film, whose full name is "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," also won the screenplay award for Geoffrey Fletcher. Lee Daniels, accepting his award for best director, indicated it might be his last time at the podium during awards season.

"Kathryn Bigelow's not here tonight. I am," a tearful Daniels said, referring to the "Hurt Locker" director, who is the favorite to win the Oscar.

Backstage he said, "We've won already," when asked about his Oscar chances. The film, a testament to the struggle that filmmakers undergo every day, received six Oscar nominations.

Daniels made the movie with $10 million in funding from a Denver couple, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, and launched an extensive casting search to find the title character. He settled on Sidibe after realizing that she was the diametrical opposite of her on-screen character.

He unveiled the film at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009 with the modest goal of securing a straight-to-DVD deal. But it inspired a bidding war and it ended up at independent distributor Lionsgate. The studio released it last November to critical and commercial acclaim.

Another Oscar favorite, Jeff Bridges, won the male lead award for playing a washed-up country singer in "Crazy Heart." The 60-year-old Hollywood veteran, who has never won an Oscar, told reporters that he was "not counting any chickens."

"Crazy Heart" also won for best first feature.

Each year, a handful of Spirit winners usually go on to earn Oscars thanks in part to the success of low-budget films.

But this year's top Oscar race appears to be a showdown between the mega-budget sci-fi extravaganza "Avatar" and the indie war drama "The Hurt Locker," which was not eligible for the Spirits this year because it was nominated last year.

Along with the Tolstoy drama "The Last Station," "Precious" led the field with five nominations each. "The Last Station" went home empty-handed.

Other winners included Woody Harrelson for his supporting turn in "The Messenger." The 48-year-old actor played a US Army captain who must notify soldiers' next-of-kin when they are killed in service.

The British period drama "An Education" was named best foreign film. Documentary honors went to "Anvil! The Story of Anvil." The indefatigable heavy-metal band at the center of the action performed at the ceremony.

The Spirit Awards, now in their 25th year, honor low-budget American films based on such criteria as original, provocative subject matter and the degree of independent financing

pamela anderson, buzz aldrin set for

Actress Pamela Anderson and 80-year-old former astronaut Buzz Aldrin were on Monday named among a line-up of celebrities for the latest series of hit TV show "Dancing With The Stars."

Kate Gosselin, who rose to fame through the reality TV show "Jon and Kate plus 8," will also feature in the ABC network's highest-rated show, in which famous personalities pair with professional dancers in a knockout ballroom dancing contest.

The 10th season of the series starts on March 22. "Dancing With The Stars" is the second most watched show on US television after "American Idol" which is on Fox, and is based on the British TV show "Strictly Come Dancing."

Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, "Beverly Hills 90210" star Shannen Doherty, ESPN host Erin Andrews, comedienne Niecy Nash and British soap star Aiden Turner will also be put through their paces on the show.