"After the Olympic-sized disappointment of his last trip to Copenhagen, why on earth would President Obama want to travel once again to the Danish capital for next month’s UN climate talks? The answer, according to White House officials, lies in several weeks of intensive behind-the-scenes diplomacy that the press corps entirely overlooked during Obama’s recent trip to China, and during the recent state visit by India’s prime minister. Beyond the photo ops and press statements, Obama was pushing President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the kind of climate deals that eluded him at the G8 summit in Italy in the summer – and have eluded international negotiators for the last decade. China and India have played central roles in blocking past agreements, alongside the US, in a seemingly intractable dispute between fast-developing economies and the older, wealthier polluters. Now Obama is at the point where he feels on the verge of a breakthrough, based on the kind of talks that don't get covered by reporters obsessing about state dinners. 'He had extensive conversations with President Hu specifically on climate and conversations with the prime minister of India,' said one senior White House aide. 'So he has been building momentum for a political agreement to be brokered at Copenhagen.'" (Richard Wolff/TheDailyBeast)
"Thanksgiving auds chose football over vampires, making Warner Bros.? 'The Blind Side' the top film at the holiday box office with $9.5 million off 3,110.
After posting double-digit grosses throughout the week, the B.O. haul for Summit Entertainment 'Twilight: The New Moon Saga' dipped taking in an estimated $9.2 million from 4,042. On Wednesday night, 'New Moon' exceeded the daily tally of the Sandra Bullock football drama 'Blind Side' by 81%: $14.3 million to $7.9 million. In its first week, 'New Moon' generated $188.4 million. Summit will be reporting international tallies on Sunday. Overall, the top 10 films on Thanksgiving generated an estimated $39.4 million, a 20% gain over the holiday tally last year." (Variety)
"Stock markets across the globe suffered fresh falls on Friday as global investors scrambled to understand the implications of Dubai World’s restructuring and unexpected debt standstill. The lack of information about Dubai’s flagship government-owned holding company, made worse by a religious holiday in the Middle East, prompted indiscriminate selling of stocks linked to the region. The cost of insuring against default in emerging markets around the world also leapt." (FT)
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