Marissa DuBois in Slow Motion Full Fashion Week 2023, Fashion Channel Vlog,

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Shire 'will inspire' Cronulla, says local


Bosses at Network Ten say they're surprised at criticism of its new reality series The Shire which is due to begin filming in Sydney.
The mayor of Sutherland Shire has launched an attack against the series, telling Fairfax Radio's 2UE she was deceived about the show's content after seeing a promotional video.
The YouTube video, which has since been removed, apparently indicates the show will follow the style of the raunchy MTV series Jersey Shore, focusing on young single people in the area.
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Mayor Carol Provan told the station the show's production company, Shine, had deceived her by saying the show would provide opportunities for tourism.
Network Ten Chief Programming Officer David Mott said he was surprised a number of Sutherland Shire councillors had publicly criticised the series.


Detractors of the show, which is set in the Sutherland Shire, include local council authorities who fear it will damage the reputation of the beach-side area.


"We don't need this, it's not a good thing for The Shire," Mayor Carol Provan told radio program The Kyle & Jackie O Show.


She said councillors were shocked after seeing a promotional video of the show, leaked online and later removed, which appeared to focus on young single people in the area.


But Mr Creswick said there is too much "negative media" surrounding the show, which begins filming on March 28.


"Life is up and down so, sure, a reality show will have some down moment, but as far as I can see Cronulla is a really positive place," he said.


Ten has described The Shire as "a bold, highly addictive dramality series that follows the often outrageous lives and loves of a group of people who are destined to become the most talked about in Australia".

Teresa Palmer & Joel Edgerton Take “Wish You Were Here”


Even without the presence of stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, Sydney was still buzzing with excitement over The Hunger Games when a special premiere screening was held last night. Australian TV talent were among the first in the country to watch the full feature, with plenty of Home and Away, Dance Academy and Young Talent Time stars out in force for the screening. Teresa Palmer, who’s home to promote her latest film Wish You Were Here, was also one the lucky ones, and tweeted,




Showing some love to their Aussie fans, Teresa Palmer and Joel Edgerton were spotted at the premiere of “Wish You Were Here” in Sydney, Australia today (March 19).


The “I Am Number Four” babe and the “Warrior” stud looked pleased with the turnout as they posed for pictures at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter.




In a recent interview, Ms. Palmer shared that though some folks though she made a bad call by turning down the “Mad Max: Fury Road” gig, she doesn’t regret the decision.


“I have made my peace with letting that opportunity go,” she declared. Instead, Charlize Theron has taken over the lead role.

Teresa Palmer has no regrets leaving Mad Max


After several false starts, the fourth film in George Miller's post-apocalyptic franchise finally started filming in Namibia in February, with Tom Hardy in the iconic role, and Charlize Theron as his co-star. 


By that time, Palmer, who was attached to the project in an earlier incarnation, had already travelled some distance down an alternative route.


When rain delayed production by turning Australia's Outback into a lush green oasis, she accepted another plum, action girl role - in the teen sci-fi thriller I Am Number Four - instead.


"It was a great role for me,' Palmer says of superalien Six.




Palmer's most recent project is a world apart from either of those two films.


The 26-year-old was in town for the Australian premiere of the low-budget thriller Wish You Were Here, co-starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Price.


Palmer plays Price's sister in the film, about two couples who travel to Cambodia together for a holiday, where one of their party disappears.

Gotye And Some Other People Nominated For 2012 APRA Song Of The Year


Look, we're not calling this a lock or anything because they accidentally gave his Australian Music Prize to The Jezabels earlier this month and awards are generally unpredictable and subject to forces which we may never truly know or care about but we're talking about songs here and there is not one artist nominated for this year's APRA Song of the Year who has parlayed the success generated from one catchy breakup song into performances for Saturday Night Live and Jimmy Kimmel, a 2012 Coachella slot, meme-y children's choir covers, ARIA and J Award wins, a UK number one, the surest Hottest 100 lock ever, Ashton Kutcher endorsements, Katy Perry shout outs, Gossip Girl syncs and a film clip which currently holds more than 120 million views on Youtube. In other words...SHUT. IT. DOWN.


His duet partner Kimbra also has a song in the running, as do the winners of this year's Australian Music Prize, The Jezabels.


APRA says the contenders come from a wide field, from country to pop, through rock, rap and even gospel, with the inclusion of a number performed by Hillsong.


Age doesn't appear to be a drawback for consideration either with judges selecting 60-year-old Don Walker as a finalist for All For You, a new recording from Aussie rock legends Cold Chisel.


(Oh Well) That’s What You Get Falling In Love With A Cowboy – Lanie Lane
Act Your Age – Bluejuice
All For You – Cold Chisel
Always A Winner – Pete Murray
Awkward – San Cisco
Bad Machines – Shane Nicholson
Beautiful Mess – Kasey Chambers
Boys Like You – 360
Brother – Matt Corby
Cameo Lover – Kimbra
Country – Troy Cassar-Daley
Design Desire – Abbe May
Don’t Worry Be Happy – Guy Sebastian
Dun Proppa – Def Wish Cast
Endless Summer – The Jezabels
Feeding Line – Boy And Bear
Holy Moses – Washington
I Feel Better – Gotye
I Love It – Hilltop Hoods Ft Sia
It Is Well With My- Hillsong Live
Jungle – Emma Louise
Love Is A Drug – Eskimo Joe
Reptile – Calling All Cars
She’s Like A Comet – Jebediah
Somebody That I Used To Know – Gotye Featuring Kimbra
The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating – The Living End
Turn Me On -The Grates
You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man – The Beards
Zoom – Last Dinosaurs

Dame Edna Everage bids 57-year stage career adieu


Dame Edna Everage, back from whatever royal soiree she has most recently graced to announce ''that's all, possums''. After 56 years on the stage (and film and TV and even, occasionally, record), she's calling it a day.
''I feel quite old when you mention that,'' says Edna, when reminded — as if it were necessary — how long it has been since she made her stage debut in a Melbourne University revue in December 1955.
''It's been a journey,'' she adds. ''It began in Melbourne and I'll be achieving closure in Melbourne with this beautiful show. But it will linger in people's minds, like a virus.''


At 78, Humphries said the time had come to retire all his various alter egos from the stage, the most famous of whom is Dame Edna.


“She’s a little weary of touring and strange hotels,” Humphries told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio in Canberra, explaining his most enduring character’s decision to retire.


Another of Humphries’ characters, drunken Australian cultural attache Sir Les Patterson, will join Dame Edna on the farewell tour.


Dame Edna’s career began as the more dour Mrs. Edna Everage when she first stepped onto the stage of a Melbourne University review in 1955 in Humphries’ hometown of Melbourne.


She was “Auntie Edna” in the 1974 Australian comedy movie “Barry McKenzie Holds His Own,” in which she was made a dame — a British title that is the female equivalent of a knighthood — as part of the plot during a cameo appearance by the then-Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.


Dame Edna was a staple of television and stage in Britain and Australia before Humphries won a Tony Award in 2000 for his Broadway show “Dame Edna, The Royal Tour.” Its sequel, “Dame Edna, Back with a Vengeance,” was also nominated for a Tony, the leading U.S. theater award, in 2004.

BDO, Soundwave "at risk of not coming to WA"


Perth risks losing music festivals such as the Big Day Out and Soundwave if the Claremont council refuses to host them at the showgrounds, the Royal Agricultural Society has warned.
The RAS, which leases out the showgrounds to festival promoters, is already in talks with Big Day Out organisers to return the iconic festival to its original home, but faces strong opposition from the council.
The council revealed yesterday it is seeking legal advice to determine if it can ban the festivals, claiming they are too noisy and result in the suburb being trashed by drunken fans.
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But RAS chief executive Martin Molony said the council was being "elitist", and threatening the future of the festivals in Perth because of a small number of complaints.


Big Day Out promoter Ken West admitted earlier this year that the 2011 Big Day Out had breached the previous noise abatement regulations in Perth “to a minor extent” during the Tool and Rammstien sets. However he was also critical of the introduction of a new noise abatement act in Perth, which had been introduced after the Big Day Out 2012 tickets had gone on sale. According to West the “council and venue were not appreciating the fact that you can’t just keep loading costs on and make it impossible for us to stage a show.”


FasterLouder tried to track Jock Barker down for comment but the mayor wasn’t answering his phone this morning and then refused to answer our questions via email. In a brief reply this afternoon Barker told us that he has “nothing further to add to my comments as already published… Mr Malone [sic] comments do not represent the facts as they stand. If the sound levels were as approved and the antisocial behaviour stopped we would have no problems. Many concerts are held and present no problem.”


However, if Claremont loses the festivals Barker will need to think of some new money spinning ideas for the council. In May last year Perth Now reported that “The City’s revenue from parking fines for music events jumped by more than $100,000 last financial year, including from festivals like Big Day Out, Stereosonic and Good Vibrations Figures reveal Claremont has made more than $171,000 from parking fines issued at the showgrounds so far this year.” According to the report, Claremont council raised a staggering $22,950 just by booking punters attending last year’s Soundwave festival.


Commenting on the fines in an interview with Perth Now last year Barker declared “I’m not embarrassed at all by the amount of money the town pulls in from parking fines at these events. In this day and age, drivers seek to blame everyone else, including the town, for their bad behaviour. We only fine drivers if they are doing something illegal.”

Suspicious minds come out to play

 Though it is still early in the process for Homeland co-creators Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa to be talking about season two (they have currently only broken five of the episode stories in their writer's room), they were eager and willing to humor LA TV Insider Examiner's questions and theories when we caught up with them at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' evening with the acclaimed Showtime drama. So while things might still be subject to change as they continue to flesh out the season, here is what we learned thus far.


In addition to its labyrinthine storylines, one of the most notable features of Homeland is its ambiguity, its refusal to paint Brody, Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) and, to a lesser degree, a clique of shady government kingmakers in the background as simple goodies or baddies.
''One of the first things that occurred to us when the show was green-lit at Showtime was that we weren't bound by network TV convention - that is, we didn't need to make things as black and white as if you were on a major broadcast network in the US,'' Gansa says from Los Angeles, where he and a team of five have returned to the writing room to develop scripts for a second season.
''We were able to create these two ambiguous, damaged characters who were on a collision course with each other. That was the heart of Homeland, that's where we started, the story we wanted to tell was the collision of these two people and, in a way, I think you're right, they do have an idea of America in common but they do find themselves on different sides of how to go about protecting that idea.''

Libyans leaves Mauritania, hope to extradite Senussi


There was no immediate confirmation from the authorities in Mauritania, where Senussi was arrested at Nouakchott airport on Friday after arriving on a flight from Casablanca in Morocco, using a false passport.


Earlier, speaking to reporters after meeting Mauritanian leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in Nouakchott, the Libyan vice-premier said only that the president had "promised something positive" in regard to Libya's request.


Senussi, Gaddafi's feared former right-hand man, is also wanted by France and the International Criminal Court in The Hague.


Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagour, leading the delegation, said on Twitter after talks with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz on Tuesday that Aziz had given his consent to Senussi's extradition and he would "soon be in a Libyan prison."


Mauritanian sources differed.


"No commitment of any kind whatsoever has been given in this case," an official source told Reuters.


Another source close to the issue said: "At this stage no commitment has been given by the Mauritanian side, it looks like wishful thinking by the Libyans."


Earlier, a security source in the ex-French colony, which is heavily dependent on foreign aid, said that other countries should also have a say in the fate of Senussi, who had been the last senior Gaddafi regime figure still at large following the dictator's overthrow and death in an uprising last year.


The source declined to elaborate but several rights groups have said they doubt whether Senussi, 62, would get a fair trial in Libya and that he would be better transferred to the ICC to face charges of crimes against humanity.

BlueScope to restructure international arms


In a statement, the company said its new BlueScope Global Building Solutions comprises the pre-engineered buildings businesses in North America, its entire China business and all pre-engineered businesses in south-east Asia.


The changes will see the group's North American PEB businesses, its South-East Asian PEB units and its entire China business combine to create BlueScope Global Building Solutions.


BlueScope's metal coating, painting and roll-forming businesses in South East Asia and North America will be combined into a new arm called BlueScope Building Products.


BlueScope China president Bob Moore has been appointed chief executive of the Global Building Solutions arm, where he will leading more than 5000 employees across eight countries.


BlueScope Asia chief Sanjay Dayal will take the chief executive role at BlueScope Building Products, and will also be responsible for the group's North American Steelscape and ASC Profiles businesses.


"These management changes will take effect on July 1, 2012, but will not impact FY2012 segment reporting," the company said.


Last month, BlueScope said it expected to record a slightly improved performance in the second half of the year, despite widening its loss by a huge amount in the first half.


For the six months to December 31, BlueScope posted a net loss of $530 million, 864 per cent worse than the previous corresponding period.

Jason Akermanis sorry for attack on late Jim Stynes

The spokesman said the explosive comments from Akermanis could not have come at a worse time for the family, which is preparing for Stynes' funeral on Tuesday.


"The timing of his comments is pretty appalling.


"But in this situation, Jim would be the first person to get on the phone to Jason Akermanis and say, 'Mate, let's go have a beer or come to the footy and let's have a chat', which is the mark of a man.


"He was a hard Irishman but he was genuinely compassionate person."


Akermanis initially defended himself after labelling Stynes as "nasty'' and declaring his state funeral was "overkill''.


In an explosive radio interview with Mix 92.7 FM on Queensland's Sunshine Coast today, the former three-time Premiership-winning player said the public outpouring of sympathy and grief at the passing of Stynes, who lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday, was "overkill.''


Stynes has been lauded as an inspirational player on and off the field, recognised for his youth work with the Reach Foundation.


He is expected to be honoured at a State funeral in Melbourne on Tuesday, before his ashes are returned to his home town in Ireland.


The apology comes after Akermanis defended himself after an explosive radio interview with Mix 92.7 FM on Queensland's Sunshine Coast today, in which he said the public outpouring of sympathy and grief at the passing of Stynes was "overkill''.
He has been sacked from the radio show but says he would have quit the show anyway, adding the "$100 a week was not worth it".
Akermanis told breakfast hosts Mark Darin and Caroline Hutchinson that Stynes "was a nasty man in his day. He had a nice turn of phrase and he made sure you knew how he felt".
"What amazes me is yes, he was a legend of the game and did a great job and wonderful things with kids, but you know there are a bunch of people who have done just as much who don't get any recognition. I just think it's a bit out of kilter.
"He got a state funeral - do all football players get a state funeral? There's something about it all that just made me feel uncomfortable. Jim's good, but is he that good?''
The family of Jim Stynes slammed the loudmouth footy star, saying his comments were appalling, ill-informed and could not have come at a worse time.
A spokesman for the family said today Stynes could never have been defined as a nasty person.

Irish students honour the story of Jim Stynes half a world Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/irish-students-honour-the-story-of-jim-stynes-half-a-world-away-20120321-1vkno.html#ixzz1pw1m3zUg

 SOME of Jim Stynes’ old mates gathered on Tuesday night in the Gaelic football clubroom where his teenage championship team photo hangs on the wall, and the Australian rules football he signed as a gift is still on show
There was as much laughter as regret. Sean Flynn was chairman of the juvenile section of the club when Stynes began as a 10-year-old. He still can't help but chuckle every time he remembers how the tall, stubborn lad in centre field, six foot by the time he was 11, effortlessly stymied the opposition every time. Other teams would put two or three players on him but he would still snatch the ball and burst forward with it. ''He was just as exciting at that early level - 11, 12, 13 - as he was an adult,'' Mr Flynn told The Age earlier in the day. ''The opposition couldn't deal with him at all.'' A former teammate, Ben Molloy, remembers his ability to take the hard knocks. ''If he got a few belts from the other players he would never complain. The other teams could never understand how he would just get back up and play football.''


"He wasn't a natural student. He wouldn't have been top-notch in terms of intelligence, but he made up for it in terms of hard work."
He said he was extremely well liked by teachers and fellow students. "People were on to me last night just to chat; they just wanted to talk a little bit about him."
Stynes attended the college from 1978 until he left for Australia in 1984.
History teacher Eugene Ryan, who played the YouTube video for his students, said: "I think the students are always interested in those who have sat in the same desks. He's a good role model for them."
The college was flying its flag at half-mast in Stynes' memory and there was to be a minute's silence at a school-related rugby match overnight.
A day earlier, some of Stynes' old mates gathered in the Ballyboden St Endas Gaelic football clubroom where his teenage championship team photo hangs on the wall, and the Australian rules football he signed as a gift is still on show.

Jason Akermanis sorry for attack on late Jim Stynes saying he was a 'nasty man' treated like a 'demigod'


He has been sacked from the radio show but says he would have quit the show anyway, adding the "$100 a week was not worth it".
Stynes' family hit out at Akermanisearlier today, saying his comments were appalling, ill-informed and could not have come at a worse time.


A spokesman for the family said today Stynes could never have been defined as a nasty person.


"Jim was often strong-willed and self-determined ... not nasty but hard," he said.


"He had been running in the game of life since he was 14 and he didn't stop until he was 45. As a consequence he was a self-made man.


"I don't think anybody could define him as a nasty person."


The spokesman said the explosive comments from Akermanis could not have come at a worse time for the family, which is preparing for Stynes' funeral on Tuesday.


"The timing of his comments is pretty appalling.


"But in this situation, Jim would be the first person to get on the phone to Jason Akermanis and say, 'Mate, let's go have a beer or come to the footy and let's have a chat', which is the mark of a man.


"He was a hard Irishman but he was genuinely compassionate person."


Akermanis initially defended himself after labelling Stynes as "nasty'' and declaring his state funeral was "overkill''.


In an explosive radio interview with Mix 92.7 FM on Queensland's Sunshine Coast today, the former three-time Premiership-winning player said the public outpouring of sympathy and grief at the passing of Stynes

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Venus, Clijsters make triumphant returns

Alisa Kleybanova won her first match back after studded Sony Ericsson Open as a wild card Tuesday.

Kleybanova was in the world top 20 and rising before she was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin's lymphoma last May.The 22-year-old Russian underwent chemotherapy treatments in Italy before returning to the practice courts back in December and had to fight back to beat Sweden's Johanna Larsson on Tuesday.Kleybanova dropped the first set, but rallied for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory and will face No. 22 seed Maria Kirilenko of Russia in the next round.Earlier, former top-10 player Jelena Dokic came up a first-round loser on the hardcourts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park.Russian Ekaterina Makarova handled the former world No. 4 Dokic 6-1, 7-5 while breaking her serve six times in the 80-minute match.Rising German Mona Barthel blitzed Hungarian Greta Arn 6-1, 6-0 in 55 minutes; while Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova drilled Croat Petra Martic 6-3, 6-2; and British wild card Heather Watson edged out Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4).Williams announced at last year's US Open she had been diagnosed with the auto-immune disorder Sjogren syndrome, an illness that saps her energy and causes pain in her joints."Just to be in this tournament is a huge win for me," Williams said."That's what I told myself going in, that this is a win. I have nothing to lose. I just tried to get in the tournament. There were a lot of tournaments I didn't make."Williams, who did play doubles for the US Fed Cup team last month, pulled out of last year's US Open after a first-round victory."At this point in time it's important for me to play smart," Williams said. "I'm an attacker. That's what I do best and that's what I tried to do today. I don't have the time to give any points away. I have to stay really focused on my game plan."The good thing is I'm playing well. I know how to play, so I haven't lost any steam in that, the fact that I can play tennis. That's comforting for me."Belgium's Clijsters, playing for the first time since her Australian Open semifinal loss to World No 1 Victoria Azarenka, rallied to eliminate Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6, 6-1, 6-0."It's always tough to get that first match rhythm under your belt," Clijsters said. "When it comes down to my game I felt I wasn't quite going through my shots as I should have."I was just trying to find that rhythm, but on the other hand maybe forgetting to still play aggressive tennis. But as I started to feel more comfortable with the conditions and being in a match situation again I was hitting better, and that definitely showed in the second and third sets."Clijsters, who won at Miami in 2005 and 2010, skipped last week's Indian Wells tournament to rest her injured ankle, the latest in a list of ailments in the past year that has also included a bad shoulder, wrist and abdomen worries."It's just a matter of getting those matches again," she said. "One thing I can count on is I have the experience. It doesn't take me that long to get used to it again. But it has become tougher."Saying her ankle is at 95 per cent, Clijsters pondered how close she came to downing top seed Azarenka in Australia and how strong the top-ranked player, now 23-0 for the season, has played."I felt like I was really close to winning that match," Clijsters said. "She has been playing really good tennis. I think she's in a state of mind where she feels very confident and is on a roll."It's really showing in her game and in the way she approaches matches. I know what it's like to be in that situation, where you feel very focused but at the same time playing freely, without any worries."Williams advanced to a second-round match against Czech third seed, and Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova, who had a first-round bye, while next up for Clijsters is her first match against Germany's 14th-seeded Julia Goerges.

Williams, Clijsters make winning returns to tour

 Ten-time grand slam champion Williams, who has not played a WTA event since pulling out of last year's US Open, defeated Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-0 6-3 in 77 minutes at the Miami WTA/ATP event.



"It was definitely a bit nerve-wracking ... but I was able to get a great start and settle in and play well against a really difficult opponent. It was definitely an ideal start."


Williams announced at last year's US Open she had been diagnosed with the auto-immune disorder Sjogren syndrome, an illness that saps her energy and causes pain in her joints.


"Just to be in this tournament is a huge win for me," Williams said.


Williams, who played doubles for the US Fed Cup team last month, pulled out of last year's US Open after a first-round victory.


Clijsters, who won at Miami in 2005 and 2010, skipped last week's Indian Wells tournament to rest her injured ankle, the latest in a list of ailments in the past year that has also included a sore shoulder, wrist and abdomen.


"It's just a matter of getting those matches again," Clijsters said. "One thing I can count on is I have the experience, though. It doesn't take me that long to get used to it again. But it has become tougher."


Saying her ankle is at 95 per cent of peak fitness, Clijsters pondered how close she came to knocking off top seed Azarenka in Australia and how strong Azarenka - now undefeated this season in 23 matches - has played.


"I felt like I was really close to winning that match (at Melbourne Park)," Clijsters said. "She has been playing really good tennis. I think she's in a state of mind where she feels very confident and is on a roll.


"It's really showing in her game and in the way she approaches matches. I know what it's like to be in that situation, where you feel very focused but at the same time playing freely, without any worries."


Williams advanced to a second-round match against Czech third seed, and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who had a first-round bye. Next up for Clijsters is her match against Germany's 14th-seeded Julia Goerges.


First round matches began in the men's draw with Russian Nikolay Davydenko outlasting American James Blake 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, to book a second-round date with US 10th seed John Isner, the runner-up to Roger Federer last week at Indian Wells.


Colombia's Alejandro Falla was leading 6-1, 2-1 when Uzbek Denis Istomin retired with an injury, advancing the South American into a second-round match with British fourth seed Andy Murray.

Tom Hanks apologizes and Dame Edna retires

 Australians will have one last chance to see Dame Edna Everage on stage, with creator Barry Humphries revealing his new show will be his last live tour.

At the age of 78, Humphries has told News Ltd it's time to move on.
"Look, the fact of the matter is that I'm beginning to feel a bit senior," Humphries has told the Sunday Telegraph.
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"It's the best aerobics you could do, leaping around on stage, but it's gruelling when there are other things to do," he says.
For fans this means Dame Edna, Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone will be retired from the stage for good, but not before one final goodbye tour.
Humphries says his Australian tour Eat Pray Laugh!, which kicks off in Canberra in June, will be his "fond farewell".


After 57 years, Australian actor Barry Humphries is hanging up the purple hair and oversized rhinestone glasses of his Tony Award-winning drag character, Dame Edna Everage.
He’ll take Australia’s self-proclaimed housewife-superstar on a farewell tour — “Eat Pray Laugh!” — over the next two years. “She’s a little weary of touring and strange hotels,” the 78-year-old actor said.
Marie Osmond: Wet and wild
So what made Marie Osmond laugh so hard recently on stage that she actually peed her pants and wiped up the mess with a towel?
She and brother Donny were on the last night of their Donny & Marie Cruise when “there was a video that they put together of the entire cruise, and it was the worst thing I have ever seen in my life,” Donny says.
“At the very end of it, Marie and I looked at each other like, ‘What are we gonna say?’ So we were trying to be very polite, saying that it was sweet, and I said, ‘I wonder who put that together?’ And Marie said, ‘Well, whoever did it is not going to do it next year!’ And that just started the process.”
Marie started laughing, “then I lost it, and finally she just peed her pants! She tried to cover it up, but there’s no way to cover it up,” says Donny. “It just got worse and worse and funnier and funnier.”
An ‘SNL’ reunion
Good news for anyone missing the good ol’ days magic of “Saturday Night Live.” Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase are collaborating on an upcoming script.
“Chevy (Chase) and I are about to start work on a script concept for a comedy movie,” Dan wrote recently on his Facebook page. “Cannot say too much about the concept, but the joy of working with him again is one that I am extremely excited about. Chevy is one of my favorite people, and one of the great anarchistic and physically committed comedians in the business.”

Dame Edna Everage bids 57-year stage career adieu


If the global gladioli market took a tumble yesterday the cause was to be found at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne. There, resplendent in red, dazzling in diamantes, was Dame Edna Everage, back from whatever royal soiree she has most recently graced to announce ''that's all, possums''. After 56 years on the stage (and film and TV and even, occasionally, record), she's calling it a day.
''I feel quite old when you mention that,'' says Edna, when reminded — as if it were necessary — how long it has been since she made her stage debut in a Melbourne University revue in December 1955.
''It's been a journey,'' she adds. ''It began in Melbourne and I'll be achieving closure in Melbourne with this beautiful show. But it will linger in people's minds, like a virus.''


Another of Humphries’ characters, drunken Australian cultural attache Sir Les Patterson, will join Dame Edna on the farewell tour.


Dame Edna’s career began as the more dour Mrs. Edna Everage when she first stepped onto the stage of a Melbourne University review in 1955 in Humphries’ hometown of Melbourne.


She was “Auntie Edna” in the 1974 Australian comedy movie “Barry McKenzie Holds His Own,” in which she was made a dame — a British title that is the female equivalent of a knighthood — as part of the plot during a cameo appearance by the then-Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.


Dame Edna was a staple of television and stage in Britain and Australia before Humphries won a Tony Award in 2000 for his Broadway show “Dame Edna, The Royal Tour.” Its sequel, “Dame Edna, Back with a Vengeance,” was also nominated for a Tony, the leading U.S. theater award, in 2004.
Humphries was not available for an interview on Tuesday.


The show’s producer, Dainty Group, described the show in a tongue-in-cheek statement as an all-singing, all-dancing spectacular in which Dame Edna promises to empower audiences as she meditates on the big issues of gender, ethnicity and climate change.

Rabbits rampant as Greg Inglis is now Maguire's No 1 man


It was in 2005 when Inglis was 18 and they were playing for Melbourne. Billy Slater was injured, so Craig Bellamy called up Inglis to debut.



"And after the game," King said, "we all sat there scratching our heads wondering where Billy was going to play when he came back."


It makes you wonder why it took this long for someone to switch the light on at Souths.


Bellamy said for years if he didn't have Slater, Inglis would have been wearing No 1 long ago. At one point he considered switching Slater to the wing permanently.


When Michael Maguire was appointed as the Rabbitohs' new head coach, one of the first calls he made from England was to Inglis to float a possible move.


Now, one of the game's most naturally gifted athletes has the chance to reach his potential - and we have the stats to prove it.


Not only will Inglis get more ball at fullback, but better ball, which in turn helps teammates like John Sutton play to their strengths.


Every Rabbitohs fan will tell you one of their biggest gripes before last Sunday was that their highest-paid player didn't see enough action and too often when Inglis did get involved, the defence was already in his face.


"I think the last time I played that position was 07," Inglis said. "Madge (Maguire) has come through during the week and asked if I wanted to go back there and I was more than happy to. In the end we had to find a way to get my hands on the ball more and that was my job today.


"I'll play anywhere which is best for the team. (But) being back there I found my rhythm."


Inglis effectively broke the Panthers' spirits in the second half. With his team up 22-12, he latched on to a clever pass from John Sutton and made a beeline for the tryline, trampling over the top of poor Panthers fullback Lachlan Coote in the process. It gave Souths a comfortable lead at 28-12 and it was only onwards and upwards from there.


The only question that deserved to be asked of Souths after the game was whether Maguire would leave Inglis at fullback when Merritt returns from a toe injury. The coach probably knew the right answer but toed a diplomatic stance yesterday.


"At the moment I'm pretty lucky," Maguire said. "I've got Nathan Merritt who is pretty close to coming back. He's unfortunately still having trouble with his toe. While Greggy's there and the opportunity is there for Merritt coming back, there's some good pressure on the team and on me to make some decisions." Inglis wasn't the only standout player for the Rabbitohs in a performance that franked their form against Melbourne and proved they are legitimate finals contenders this year. Backrower Dave Taylor came up with two tries including an enterprising effort in which he grubber kicked ahead for himself.


Sutton has long been an enigmatic player for the Bunnies but turned in a strong game while rookie halfback Adam Reynolds looks more polished with each match he plays.


In the rival camp, Penrith coach Ivan Cleary lamented his side's slow start in both halves but said his players never completely gave up hope.

Inglis at centre of Griffin's concerns

 Brisbane NRL coach Anthony Griffin has devised a game plan he hopes will keep South Sydney dangerman Greg Inglis in check in Friday night's NRL clash in Perth.



The Broncos wrapped up preparations ahead of their long-trip to Western Australia on Thursday with their focus very much on containing Inglis.


Souths coach Michael Maguire shifted Inglis from the centres to fullback against Penrith last week and the giant international ran riot with the Rabbitohs belting the Panthers 40-24.


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Griffin admitted he'd rather Inglis played in his usual position.


"I'd prefer he was in the centres because he gets a lot of early clean ball now and you saw what he did to Penrith last week," Griffin said.


"We'll just have to be very good with our kick-chase and our edge defence when he comes into the line."


Griffin dismissed talk of young winger Dane Gagai, who extended his contract by two years this week, being a late addition to the 17-man squad.


The Broncos are next on his hit list after finishing their final training session this morning and heading west this afternoon on the five-hour flight to Western Australia.
Coach Griffin was another fan of the performance of Inglis last week and admitted he'd rather see the Queensland and Australian star in the centres, where he was slightly easier to contain.
"He gets a lot of early, clean ball now. You saw what he did to Penrith last week. We'll just have to be very good with our kick-chase, with our wedge defence when he comes into the line," Griffin said.
"If he gets that space, if he gets that line break, he's very hard to stop. He's going to give them some real strike back there at fullback.
"I'd prefer him playing in the centres, from an opposition coaching point of view. We've got to do a job on him."
Brisbane are without influential lock Corey Parker but will bank on their mobile, active pack against the direct style Souths coach Michael Maguire has employed through huge forwards Dave Taylor, Sam Burgess and Roy Asotasi.
Griffin said the new direction Souths had taken was along the lines of the Melbourne Storm, a side that sets the standard for disciplined play with the ball and quality defence.
"They're in great form. They ripped Penrith apart last week. That's the challenge defensively – to get in front of them and shut them down," he said.
Griffin confirmed Dane Gagai would be 18th man despite some suggestions this week he would be promoted to the starting side in the place of winger Gerard Beale, who is heading to the Dragons next season.
"He's 18th man, Dane. There's a rumour going around that he's playing. I'll go and find out for you," Griffin joked.
"He's (Gagai) had seven or eight games last year. He'll get a spot when he earns it, just like everyone else. Gerard will be selected on his merits."

Libby Trickett confident of improvement

“I’m through comfortably to the semi-final in the fastest time that I’ve done in my comeback, the first time under the minute since I’ve come back,” said Trickett.



“To do that in a heat is exciting and hopefully with a little more rest and recovery ansd freshness I can go faster tonight.”


Trickett in the past has always either had to psyche herself up or calm herself down before but for this meet she is taking an entirely different approach.


“I’m aware of how to get my body ready and my body knows how to get me ready to race so I’m sort of letting it do its thing which I’ve never done before,” she said.


“I’m sort of just letting things happen naturally which sounds a little peculiar but after this long in the sport if you can’t just let things happen a bit more than you’re probably doing the wrong thing.”


Coutts , the five-times gold medallist at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, took the opportunity of the heat swim to test a new Arena swim suit. The suit only arrived two days ago and while she would not normally use such an important race as a trial run, she decided it was far safer to experiment in the heats rather than in the semis or final.


“I haven’t decided,” said Coutts, when asked if she would use it at the business end of proceedings. I’m just going in there to see what I can do, do some pb’s and secure some spots in the team.”

Libby Trickett in search of individual berth LIVE tonight

 She might be renowned more as a 100m freestyle-butterfly specialist but it is the one-lap splash-and-dash that has always delivered for her and who’s to say it’s not going to happen again after her excellent heat swim at the Olympic selection trials in Adelaide this morning.


With the pressure of making the London Olympic team removed from her shoulders after she qualified as a relay swimmer with her fifth placing in the 100m freestyle last night, Trickett free-wheeleed for a 25.12sec clocking.


That placed her third overall but with Swedish veteran Therese Alshammer (25.06sec) not permitted as a foreigner to progress beyond the heats, that leaves only Alexandra Purcell of the Gold Coast (25.05sec) ahead of her heading into tonight’s semi-finals.


But a sister act of Cate and Bronte Campbell stands in her way after leading the field into the final. 


Trickett, a two-time world champion and Athens Olympic bronze medallist in the 50m, has already achieved her biggest goal of selection and admitted earlier today the prospect of a top-two finish was in the back of her mind.

RENEGADE MALI SOLDIERS IN COUP BID


BAMAKO, Mali—Disgruntled soldiers have stormed state TV and radio in Mali's capital and cut off broadcasts in a growing fallout over a northern rebellion where Tuareg separatists are besting the military.


Soldiers say Defense Minister Gen. Sadio Gassama was visiting a military camp near the presidential palace in Bamako on Wednesday when unhappy young troopers started firing into the air. They then stoned the general's car, forcing him to leave the camp in haste.


Soon after, they stormed the offices of the state broadcaster, yanking both TV and radio off the air.


The soldiers said that the campaign in northern Mali is badly managed, short of arms and food supplies. They also said the government must take better care of the families of soldiers killed in the rebellion that started mid-January. Tens of thousands of people have fled within Mali and others to four neighboring countries.


The Obama administration said it is monitoring the unrest in Mali, including reports of a possible coup in the African nation the U.S. has long held up as an example of a thriving democracy.


Meanwhile an independent source said President Amadou Toumani Toure, earlier holed up in the palace as shots were traded outside, had managed to leave the premises.


A mutiny over the way government is handling a Tuareg insurrection in the north began on Wednesday afternoon and turned into an apparent coup attempt as soldiers seized control of the government broadcaster and attacked the presidential palace.


After an hours-long media blackout, a message flashed on television promising "a declaration from soldiers in an instant" from just before midnight local time while music videos played in the background.


At 1530 AEDT, a group of uniformed soldiers appeared on the screen. However, the sound equipment appeared not to be working and shortly afterwards the view again switched to music videos.


The one speaking was identified on the screen as Lieutenant Amadou Konare, spokesman of the National Committee for the Establishment of Democracy.

Nathan Tinkler hits a billion on the rich list

Gina Rinehart has topped off a dramatic 12 months by sweeping to top place on the BRW Rich 200 list with a fortune of $10.3 billion.
It is the first time any member of the Rich 200 has broken through the magical $10 billion mark and underlines the dramatic impact the mining boom has had on the ranks of Australia's wealthy.

Rinehart was well ahead of the surprise second place on the list Ivan Glasenberg, the South African-born, Swiss-based chief executive of Glencore. His wealth was estimated at $8.8 billion courtesy of last week's float of the world's biggest commodity trader.

Andrew Forrest, the head of Fortescue Metals Group, was in third place with a fortune of $6.18 billion, while Anthony Pratt, who succeeded his late father as head of packaging giant Visy Industries, was in fourth with $5.18 billion.

Clive Palmer – who is set to list his coal company Resourcehouse on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in the next few weeks – was ranked fifth with a fortune of $5.05 billion.

While Gina Rinehart has never been far from the headlines in the last 12 months thanks to her strident opposition to the Government's mining tax and her surprise investments in media companies Ten Network and Fairfax Media, the sheer size of the increase in her fortune is staggering.

Not only is she the first woman in the list's 28-year history to lead it, but she also made the biggest fortune ever to be recorded by the BRW Rich 200, with her wealth more than doubling from $4.75 billion last year.

Overall, the rich list gained a 23 per cent rise in wealth to $167.25 billion, and five new billionaires took the total to 35.

Most appearances on this year's list were self-made, with only 17 per cent inheriting their wealth. The number of women in the list remained at 15 in line with last year, BRW said.

Greens: immigration inquiry a witch-hunt

Australia's Government has dismissed an Opposition move to set up an inquiry into the immigration detention network as a political stunt.

Simon Cullen reports from Parliament House the Opposition says the detention network is out of control... and there needs to be a wide-ranging parliamentary inquiry.

The Greens Senator, Sarah Hanson-Young, says she's open to the idea.

She says, "We need to make sure that any inquiry would look at how to get people out of detention - not just find ways to keep them in."

A spokesman for the Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, says the Coalition's move is just a stunt.

There is some support inside Labor - Government backbencher, Ed Husic, says he'd be happy to back an inquiry, "I think that we do need to have this process open.

While the Greens said they would try to negotiate with Mr Morrison in the coming days, Senator Hanson-Young took aim at the Liberal Party record.

"Let's not forget that this is the party of children behind razor wire . This is the party who has driven, in this term of government, a very nasty approach with their simple slogan of stop the boats but no solution to deal with the humane needs of asylum-seekers, she said.

"I'm not interested in just allowing for an inquiry that ends up being a witch-hunt and is simply a propping-up of what is a failed and inhumane system.

Regional independents Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor did not return calls from The Australian yesterday, however Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie said he was inclined to support the opposition's motion".

I look forward to discussing the matter with Scott Morrison in Canberra this week," he said.

The independent member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, said he was willing to listen to the opposition, however he thought inquires in general were a "waste of taxpayer money".

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen yesterday said the Coalition push was not an attempt for genuine reform.

This government is open and accountable about its immigration detention system, unlike the Howard government," a spokesman for Mr Bowen said.

Real inquiry would look at the Coalition's terrible record on detention."

On the Greens aversion to the inquiry, Mr Morrison said the issue of mandatory detention was already covered in the terms of reference. "I've said clearly that, and I quote, 'impact of existing and prospective government policies' would be looked that includes mandatory detention.

Greece votes on where austerity axe falls

Yesterday's market rally on the back of the Greek parliament's decision to move forward with a €78 billion ($105 billion) package of cuts, tax rises and privatisations shows how much investors are hanging out for a resolution of Europe's debt crisis.
Yet it also suggests investors are not too familiar with the classics: the parliamentary vote wasn't a Trojan Horse, but it wasn't a gift from Greece that cured Europe's woes, either.
Last night, the parliament met again amid savage street demonstrations, this time to approve plans for the implementation of the austerity package.
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The numbers on the first vote suggested that this, too, would be approved. The second vote clears the way for the payment of another €12 billion to Greece out of last year's first rescue fund and adds momentum to talks about a second bailout package.
It sparked a worldwide share rally yesterday. In Australia, the ASX200 index shot up by 78.5 points to be above 4600 points again. The euro firmed, European bond spreads narrowed as risk tolerance increased and commodity prices and the Aussie strengthened.
The theory is that the Greek vote and the gathering plans for another rescue package head off a Greek government bond default. Such a default could have pitched Europe's other basket cases into crisis. A cascade of defaults could expand beyond the obvious suspects, Ireland and Portugal, into economies with more economic gravitas and financial counterparty risk, notably Spain and Italy.

Several banks and shopfronts were smashed, while a socialist dissenter who backed the government at the last minute, Alexandros Athanassiadis, was briefly assaulted by protesters after leaving parliament on foot.

Smoke billowed from a post office beneath the Finance Ministry before a fire was put out. Rioters set up burning barricades along Syntagma Square, where demonstrators have staged a sit-in for the past month. Streets were littered with chunks of smashed marble and ripped-up paving stones that had been thrown at police.

A burnt-out van remained within yards of parliament more than a day after youths set it alight.

A general strike that began on Tuesday paralysed the country, grounding planes, leaving ferries docked and stranding tourists during the busy summer season.

Police said yesterday that 49 officers had been injured, one seriously when he was hit in the face by a chunk of marble. Forty-three protesters were detained, with 17 arrested. Emergency services said they had treated 99 protesters and passers-by for injuries.

Across Europe, officials hailed the vote as an act of "national responsibility". "That's really good news," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on her way out of an economic forum in Berlin. Germany is Greece's biggest creditor.

Stephen Parry

Stephen Shane Parry (born 31 October 1960), Australian politician, has been a Liberal Party member of the Australian Senate since July 2005, representing the state of Tasmania. He was elected Government Deputy Whip in the Senate in November 2006 and elected Government Whip in April 2007 in succession to the late Senator Jeannie Ferris. Senator Parry is currently the Deputy President and Chairman of Committees.

Early life
Stephen Shane Parry was born on October 31, 1960 in Burnie, Tasmania to William Stephen Parry and Patricia Dawn Evans. He was educated at Burnie's Marist Regional College, and following matriculation enroled at the Tasmanian Police Academy in Hobart.

Career
Parry was employed as an officer with the Tasmanian Police from 1977 to 1986, and was promoted to Detective in 1983. After leaving the Police force, he completed a certificate in Mortuary Science at the Australian College of Funeral Service and was a funeral director from 1986 to 2004. He was President of the Australian Funeral Directors Association. Parry was also president of the Burnie Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2000 to 2004, and a director of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2000 to 2005.

Politics
In 2004, as a member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Parry was elected to the Australian Senate for the state of Tasmania. He was elected Government Deputy Whip in the Senate in November 2006 and Government Whip in April 2007 in succession to the late Senator Jeannie Ferris. Senator Parry was elected Opposition Whip after the 2007 federal election and on 16 February 2009, in addition to his role as Whip, he was appointed Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate.
Stephen Parry is married with two adult sons.
In accdordance with Senate traditions, on the 04 July 2011 Senator Stephen Parry replaced Allan Ferguson and was elected by the Senate, as the Deputy President and Chairman of Committees.

Becoming Human

Becoming Human is a British supernatural drama webisode series and a spin-off from the TV series Being Human. Created by Toby Whithouse, it was written by Brian Dooley, Jamie Mathieson and John Jackson) and stars Craig Roberts as the teenage vampire Adam (previously seen on Being Human), Leila Mimmack as the werewolf Christa and Josh Brown as the ghost Matt. A composition of the eight episodes (including the finale) was aired on BBC Three at 9:00pm on 20th March 2011.

Plot
Becoming Human continues the adventures of Adam, a 46-year-old vampire in the body of a 16-year old boy, who had originally appeared in the second episode of the third series of Being Human. This episode provided his backstory - Adam had been protected by his parents (who had fed him with their own blood) up until they died of old age, following which he had come under the protection and encouragement of Mitchell, Annie, George and Nina. During his brief time with them, they had encouraged him to live a better and more moral life, keeping his vampire nature undercover, resisting the urge to prey on humans for blood, and surrounding himself with "good" people to encourage his own better behaviour. As Becoming Human begins, Adam has moved elsewhere and is trying to live a normal life as a "human", which at this point involves joining a school and getting some qualifications.
On his first day at the school, Adam manages to embarrass and ostracise himself - his pop-culture references are thirty years out of date and his social skills bizarre. However, he meets another pupil, Christa, who is hiding the fact that she is a werewolf. Christa has also been being followed by a fat, melancholy boy whom she believes is a stalker but whom no-one else can see. When both she and Adam are sent for detention and encounter the boy again, Adam realises that he is a ghost. The ghost introduces himself as Matt and turns out to be a missing student from the school: there are posters up regarding his disappearance, but due to his unpopularity few people have paid attention.
Adam quickly realises that because Matt's ghost is lingering rather than passing on to the afterlife, there must be something unresolved about his death. They discover that he has been murdered, and the three of them set about trying to solve the murder. The task is made more difficult by the fact that Matt's own memories of the event are unclear, and he often blurs them or misleads for various reasons of his own. Among the suspects Adam and his friends investigate are the school bully Danny Curtis (who used to make jokes about Matt's weight and love of eggs), Brandy Mulligan (the "Perfect Plastic" with a dark family secret) and Mr Swan (the foul-tempered PE teacher who verbally abuses students and staff members, including Adam and Christa's six-form tutor Mr Roe).

A sub-plot of the show deals with the uneasy relationship between the trio, which has elements of a rivalry, friendship and love triangle. It is revealed that Matt had a three-year-long unrequited crush on Christa which ultimately led to him being in the boys' toilets he died in, scribbling "an anonymous declaration of love" on the cubicle wall with a key when the murderer attacked him. It's suggested that Adam and Christa also might have feelings for each other, although both deny it. Adam frequently makes crude passes at Christa and takes opportunities to kiss her or be seen doing so (although its unclear whether this is human or vampire-influenced behaviour), while Christa outspokenly rejects and dismisses him. In spite of this, Matt is subject to occasional outbursts of jealousy. Adam, meanwhile, is also trying to deal with his vampire urges and is frequently tempted to "punish" the murderer (once they are discovered) by feeding from them, with Christa acting as moral restraint and Matt struggling with his own desires for revenge.
Following several false leads, a major breakthough is made when Mr Roe lets slip to the trio that Mr Swan has ordered him to clean the same boys' toilets that Matt was drowned in. 

They eventually discover that the CCTV cameras between the toilets and the gym are missing, further implicating Mr Swan in the murder. They begin to suspect that Matt's body is hidden in the gym, because Christa can smell it the day before the full moon. They investigate the gym the night of the full moon-when a werewolf's senses are at their peak- only for Christa to start changing. Matt and Adam discover that they are trapped- someone locked the doors. Matt and Adam lure the transforming Christa into the gym's supply cupboard and barricade the door. In the morning, she is released and they wonder where Matt's body could've been. They initially fear that Christa may have eaten it during her time as a werewolf; but Matt succeeds in finally locating his body- still in the cupboard hidden among cleaning tools.

Mr Swan finds them and they question him, accusing him of the murder. He tells them that Mr Roe had keys to the gym and access to the security cameras, and the trio realise that Roe was listening to their conversations the entire time during detention (while pretending to be listening to music on headphones) and had already fed them a false lead regarding Brandy Mulligan. At this point, Roe appears and knocks out Swan with a baseball bat. Matt uses a chalkboard to ask Roe why he committed the murder, and Adam grabs him by the throat as Roe tells them that he was tired of being pushed around by people, so he "pushed back". Someone had apparently keyed Roe's car, and he'd seen Matt running away from the scene (Matt was innocent, though- he was running from the girl's locker room, where'd he'd been caught peeping). Roe then followed Matt into the toilets and saw Matt carving a symbol of his love for Christa. Roe assumed that Matt was writing yet another insult towards him, so he drowned Matt in a fury.