New passport requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative are confusing some U.S. citizens, according to Baja California tourism representatives. "We've had hotels reporting cancellations because people in the U.S. believe that passports now are required to travel to and from Baja by land," said Javier Sanchez, director of the Rosarito Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Celebrity Cruises today announced plans to evolve its fleetwide culinary program, ending its affiliation with Master Chef Michel Roux. The mutual agreement coincides with the end of Roux's current contract with Celebrity.

"The Stupidest Statements Awards" of 2006, bestowed upon famous people for their misjudgments and misstatements, have just been announced by Mega Genius(R), "The man with the perfect IQ(TM)." His fourth annual prizes of recognition for what he calls "crash-and-burn lapses in intelligence" by well-known personalities are just for fun.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) today announced it has selected America's Vacation Center (AVC), one of the leading travel agencies in the nation, as its "President's Elite Travel Agency of the Year." AVC is supported by a network of hundreds of independent professional travel agents in North America, and is one of the top-producing travel agencies in the American Express Travel Representative Network.

In front of a crowd of thousands of spectators at the West Valley's New Year's Eve celebration at Westgate City Center in Glendale, Tucson resident Jackie Barker threw her hands up in the air and celebrated as her name was announced as the $250,000 grand prize winner for the Arizona Lottery's $250,000 Jubilee live cash drawing event.

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George Bush and Tony Blair swapping candid views and being captured on a live microphone was today (December 21) revealed as the smile Moment of the Year. The research commissioned on an annual basis by Internet bank smile, found that George Bush's bread chomping conversation with the Prime Minister being taped made the British public smile the most over the past year.

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The legendary Bo Diddley will perform at HAI's annual Holiday Show for 2000 disadvantaged New Yorkers on Monday, December 18th, 2pm at Whitman Hall, Brooklyn College, NYC. There are few artists who truly merit "legendary" status, as does Bo Diddley, who will mark his 52nd anniversary in music in 2007. Also performing in Monday's show are Doo Woppers Nu Millennium as well as the dancers, Break!

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The Miss Russia Organization today announced that for the first time the winner of its annual pageant will compete in the Miss World contest, expanding global opportunity for Miss Russia contestants. To officially announce the new partnership between the two organizations, the current Miss World, Tatana Kucharova of the Czech Republic, will attend the 2006 Miss Russia Pageant event on Dec. 15.

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Highlighting its Centennial Year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) today dedicated its 4000th Boys & Girls Club in Houston, Texas. The new Club -- The NFL Youth Education Town Boys & Girls Club at James Driver Park -- will serve hundreds of at-risk youth in Houston. Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org), the nation's #1 youth organization, was founded in 1906 and now serves millions of youth in the U.S. and on military bases worldwide.

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If you have ever dreamed of getting away from it all, Picasso Tours, a division of Picasso Travel, has made it possible with its 2006 independent and escorted Mediterranean vacations. Vacations along both sides of this magnificent body of water help melt away stress.